It was May 1, 2016, and the pair met at Liverpool’s Echo Arena in the senior 91kg final of the ABAs, the premier amateur tournament in the country.

After three competitive rounds, it was Clarke who got the decision and he would repeat the trick when they faced off once again in their second amateur meeting just a few months later.

More than a decade down the line, Billam-Smith will get his long-awaited chance at revenge when they meet at London’s Copper Box Arena live on Sky Sports in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 12. But this is not just about revenge for Billam-Smith, or about Clarke’s chance to make it 3-0 against an old foe.

This fight between the British cruiserweights the wrong side of 35 is to decide which of them continues to move towards the world champions and who faces up to the possibility of never reaching that level ever again.

Former WBO champion Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KOs) has been there before, of course, and it is testament to his ability to respond to adversity — despite his losses to Clarke and domestic rivals Jack Massey and Viddal Riley — that he is the only one to have won a world title as a pro.

“CBS” is The Ring’s No. 3 cruiserweight while Clarke (12-2, 9 KOs), who came from behind to stop Massey on June 6, does not make the top 10. An impressive victory for the 36-year-old, however, would fire him right up the rankings and into contention for a late charge towards world honors.

The picks are in from The Ring’s Mike Coppinger. Think you can beat them? Predict winners for prizes.

Billam-Smith: “If I never got the chance to box him, it wouldn't bother me. But the fact I get the chance to box him now means I can put those 10 years to bed. There's nothing to gain from this fight from the boxing world's perspective. It's not guaranteeing me a title shot or anything like that. But it's a good fight and most importantly it’s one I stay up for because of the past. He’s 2-0 up at the moment, but I can have the final say.”

Clarke: “He’s clearly still got some remnants of that defeat in his system but I don't. We’re different people now. He’s a dad and a former world champion while I became the best heavyweight that Great Britain’s ever had at an Olympics but, weirdly, we’re back here now. It’s a full circle moment.”

Given his ranking and status as former world champion it is perhaps unsurprising that Billam-Smith is a heavy favorite. Most oddsmakers have him priced at ¼ (-400) while Clarke is out at 3/1 (+300). In his last fight, Clarke was dropped twice by Massey before coming back to win. Anyone backing him to do similar against Billam-Smith can enjoy odds of 25/1 (+2500).

Zuffa Boxing have stacked this undercard so heavily that an intriguing 10-round clash between super middleweight contenders Zach Parker (26-2, 18 KO) and Umar Dzambekov (14-0, 10 KOs) will not even make the televised portion of the card.

In the chief support, Denzel Bentley, fresh from being stripped of his WBO middleweight title, takes on Shane Mosley Jr. over 10 rounds in the Zuffa Boxing debut which ultimately cost him that belt. There are also eight-round fights for cruiserweight Lucas Roehrig and middleweight Sam Hickey, two of Britain’s very best prospects.

Copper Box Arena, London

Live coverage of the card starts at 7pm on Sky Sports while prelims, including Parker-Dzambekov, will be streamed on Sky’s digital platforms from 5pm. The show will be broadcast on Paramount+ in the US.