LIFE is different nowadays for Mark Chamberlain.
After 14 fights, the Portsmouth southpaw was unbeaten and went the distance just three times. Viewed as one of the best prospects in the country, Chamberlain also had questions about a future fight against Queensberry stablemate Sam Noakes, a rivalry that was still in its embryonic stage.
Six months ago, Chamberlain’s career changed when he entered the ring at The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh for his litmus test. The man in the opposite corner was Gavin Gwynne – a former European lightweight champion – who only had five more fights on his record but had fought much better opponents than Chamberlain had. Joe Cordina, James Tennyson, Sean McComb, Luke Willis, Craig Woodruff and Emiliano Marsili trumped anyone on Chamberlain’s record.
Gwynne, however, was no match for his untested opponent, who thumped him with uppercuts and straight lefts that caused damage from round one. By round four, the fight was over. Chamberlain had passed with flying colours. An interested observer ringside was boxing’s most powerful figure, Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the ‘Knockout Chaos’ card, which was topped by Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou. But also fighting on the same night were Israil Madrimov, Rey Vargas, Nick Ball, Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker. Chamberlain, though, caught the eye of Alalshikh and boxed once more in Riyadh in May and now has a spot on another Riyadh Season show this Saturday at Wembley Stadium against Josh Padley.
“The last 12 months has blown by and it was like, I don’t know, I’m in a little bit of a dream, I guess,” he told Boxing News recently.
“It’s been good, it’s been exciting. Managed to experience Saudi Arabia twice and yeah, just got to do what I’m doing.”
Chamberlain’s name and reputation have been boosted thanks to his two fights in the Middle East. More and more people are beginning to recognise him in everyday life and, in one instance, as he explains, during a morning run not so long ago.
“Where I go, there’s always someone that might recognise me. The other morning I was out running and at the end of the road there was two little kids and one said, ‘Oh, did you see who that was? It was Mark Chamberlain.’ It’s good. I mean, I’ve worked all my life and that’s what’s going to come with it.
Next up for the heavy-handed Chamberlain is Josh Padley. The Doncaster fighter is unbeaten in 14 contests but is a huge underdog for fight 15 at Wembley. Padley has talked a good game and added some spice to the fight, which has caught Chamberlain’s attention.
“He’s got a big mouth,” he said of Padley.
“It’s a big opportunity for him, but he’s just another body that’s in my way on the night and I’ll get rid of him and then we move on to bigger and better things. It’s a big occasion for him, so I can see why he wants to be shouting his mouth off on social media and things like that, but I don’t get involved in that side of things. I just get in there on the night, punch him up and go home.”
With Joe Cordina now moving up to super-lightweight the number one spot at lightweight is up for grabs. Maxi Hughes must still be considered but many would pick either Chamberlain or Noakes to be at the top.
In the current sanctioning body rankings, Chamberlain is ranked fifth with the IBF and WBC and eighth with the WBO, where Noakes, the European champion, sits three places above him. Denys Berinchyk is the current WBO champion, and Noakes has made no secret of his desire to face the Ukrainian.
Chamberlain and Noakes have become must-watch fighters and fighting under the same banner at Queensberry should ensure they will meet in the ring one day. The argument amongst British fans, however, will always be over how long you let a rivalry build. Timing is everything and the more they keep winning the bigger the fight should get and it is one that deserves a big venue and, who knows, perhaps a world title may be on the line.
“There’s a plan put in place as we speak,” Chamberlain said.
“It’s a fight that I want, it’s a fight that he wants. But I guess it’s got to make sense for Queensbury. Who knows? It definitely feels like it’s getting closer. It could happen in the next six to 12 months.
“We’ve just got to both keep doing what we’re doing. I think it was meant to happen a bit sooner, but we’re both in our own careers, we’re both in our own lanes on our own journey. But yeah, when that time comes, then yeah, let’s get it on.”
