Viddal Riley has been chasing Isaac Chamberlain for years but finally feels he is within striking distance of his British cruiserweight rival.
Riley, 11-0 (6 KOs), will make his final appearance of the year in Liverpool, England, on December 14 and then turn his attention towards a grudge match with his fellow Londoner.
The idea of fighting Chamberlain first took root as Riley watched Lawrence Okolie outpoint him in a dour, disappointing fight back in 2018.
At the time, Riley was knee-deep in the world of influencer boxing but the spectacle he witnessed at the O2 Arena convinced the outstanding junior amateur to turn professional.
“I’ve always believed I could beat Isaac Chamberlain when I was an amateur,” Riley told Sky Sports.
“Watching him fight Okolie, and I thought, ‘I can beat both of these guys.’ I believed it from then. Now I’m in a position where I can actually fight him, I’m like ‘This is overdue.’ I’m going to prove to everyone what I’ve known for years.
Until very recently, Chamberlain, 16-3 (8 KOs), has always been at least one step ahead of Riley but the 27-year-old from Tottenham has steadily closed the gap and more than played his part in creating a growing rivalry.
The chase has hotted up over the past year. Riley was at ringside as Chamberlain outpointed Mikael Lawal to win the British title and then beat Lawal himself to win the English title. During his post-fight interview, Riley, Chamberlain and current British champion, Cheavon Clarke, got involved in a scuffle.
After vacating his Lonsdale Belt and losing a vacant European title fight to Jack Massey, Chamberlain finds himself without a championship and in need of a route to stay relevant. Riley wants to progress beyond the domestic scene and, if he is to do so, he will need to beat a fighter like Chamberlain.
The fight has never made more sense.
“It’s not that we don’t see eye-to-eye. We’re just competitors. I feel like that’s what’s missing in the game: people being able to talk what they feel,” Riley said.
“He thinks, ‘You’re a young buck. I’ve been doing this for how long and you’re coming on the scene talking a lot.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, well it’s a conveyor belt and the conveyor belt moves around the meat. You’re still on it and if you were further ahead, you wouldn’t have to look in my direction but based on where I’m heading and based on where you are, this is the fight to make.’ This is the fight that gets the people going.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X