Plenty was said, most of it negative, about WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith holding firm on his desire to return in November-December time rather than be rushed into a unification bout with IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia a month earlier on Saudi shores. Now, the Brit is close to agreeing a Stateside showdown with newly-crowned WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez.
Opetaia-Massey set, CBS-Zurdo announcement next?
- Clarity… On a Sky Sports appearance this week, Billam-Smith said: “We are in talks, that’s the only fight we’re talking about at the moment. I always said I’d be ready in November or December – it’s exciting, a unification against someone who’s only ever been beaten by [Dmitry] Bivol. A very hard test, an honour to fight for and become unified champion.”
- Australia’s unbeaten IBF world champion Jai Opetaia has repeatedly called out CBS, as well as his team, for refusing to accept a unification bout the month prior in Riyadh. He’ll instead now defend his title vs. another Brit on Oct. 12, in new European titleholder Jack Massey
- Zurdo, who moved up from 175lbs after being comprehensively beaten by long-reigning WBA champion Dmitry Bivol, scored UD12 wins over Joe Smith Jr (October) and now-former world titlist Arsen Goulamirian (March) in his first two fights boxing among another new weight division
AS he repeatedly stated in the aftermath of exacting sweet revenge against Richard Riakporhe on enemy territory in Selhurst three months ago, WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith wanted to fulfil his dream: a Stateside fight.
Ten weeks away from the proposed fight date, headlining a Golden Boy Promotions show overseen by Riyadh Season, nothing is yet confirmed but multiple sources suggest it’s likely the 34-year-old gets his wish against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez next.
Ever the realist, Chris said while a business trip across the Atlantic is his preference, he won’t reject a unification bout against one of the three other 200lb world champions if it is solely based on location given the sport’s ever-changing landscape.
“I’m not going to turn down a unification fight just because of where it is, it’s the business – things can change very quickly in boxing. At that point Golden Boy had no dealings with the Saudis – that’s more recent – so I think it would be their show. We’re waiting to see what happens, anywhere in the world.”
Los Angeles has the US’ largest Hispanic and Latino population and this proposed matchup would headline Riyadh Season’s “Latinos Night” Show per Ringtv’s Jake Donovan, presumably somewhere in the state for their first non-pay-per-view event.
#1 ranked WBA contender and former two-time champion Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) was ordered for Ramirez’s mandatory title defence, though they’ve agreed a step-aside fee to let the division’s first unification bout since 2018 materialise.
WBC world champion Norair Mikaeljan, who beat long-running former titleholder Ilunga Makabu for vacant honours last November, makes his first title defence against Canada’s Ryan Rozicki to headline a Don King show in Miami on Sept. 28.
If all goes to plan, all four world champions could be boxing in the space of seven calendar weeks to keep them on a similar timeline – injuries permitting – which would in turn allow them an opportunity to stay active and combine for unifications.
September 28: WBC champion Norair Mikaeljan (c) vs. Ryan Rozicki
October 12: IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia (c) vs. Jack Massey
Nov. 16: WBO champ Chris Billam-Smith (c) vs. WBA titlist Gilberto Ramirez (c)
Opetaia (29) is the youngest and will fancy his chances of reigning supreme before long but Zurdo has more cache given his championship resume across multiple weight divisions since first winning WBO world super-middleweight gold in 2017.
Billam-Smith knows first-hand just how demoralising durability can be for opponents to deal with, at a time where the 200lb division is getting a jolt in the arm again.
“I think his feet have probably slowed a bit, naturally with the extra weight but he’s very busy, got good lean-backs, [and] his actual punch output is really impressive, got great variety, obviously a southpaw and got it all there. He’s got a phenomenal chin – Goulamirian was hitting him clean and he was just firing back.”
- Credit where it’s due: CBS likes what he sees from Zurdo, per Sky’s Toe2Toe Podcast
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 