CBS not taking anything for granted before Riyadh trip
GRATITUDE and HONOUR are two words quickly springing to mind for WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith, hoping he can finish 2024 as the division’s only unified world champion at a time where establishing clarity is important as Saudi events this past year have accelerated an otherwise arduous process.
In six weeks’ time, he faces a new titleholder at 200lbs posing serious threats with his southpaw stance and prior championship experience, albeit in the lower weights.
David Haye was Britain’s last boxer to unify world championship titles at cruiserweight in March 2008 with a second-round TKO win over long-reigning WBO champion Enzo Maccarinelli and while his heavyweight foray was underwhelming, it makes sense CBS wants to emulate that achievement from someone he looks up to.
During an interview with BBC Sport’s Dan George, he said: “It’s a fight I’m really excited for and a big opportunity for me – just glad it’s a unification.
The last Brit to unify was David Haye, someone I looked up to massively in terms of fighting style and how he dismantled his opponents. It would be an honour to be a British unified world champion.”
Following contrasting title defences against Mateusz Masternak and Richard Riakporhe, the 34-year-old will look to unify against opposition outside the country.
The last time Billam-Smith boxed non-British opposition was against Kosovo born German resident Armend Xhoxhaj, the week before Christmas in 2022. He admitted fights like that, at the time a stay-busy while assessing other divisional options, weren’t exactly high as far as motivation was concerned.
Considering the pomp and ceremony awaiting him on Saudi shores in the build-up to fight night, it doesn’t get much bigger for a perennially under-appreciated boxer who has continued to defy pre-fight perceptions and upset the odds.
Ramirez won and successfully defended the WBO world super-middleweight title four times between April 2017 and December 2018 before moving up to light-heavyweight, where he was outclassed by long-reigning WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol in Abu Dhabi a month before CBS’ fifth-round stoppage win over Xhoxhaj.
Not many would’ve predicted their paths merging some two years later, though this will represent the Mexican’s third cruiserweight bout after a big weight miss against the now-retired Gabe Rosado prompted serious considerations about his future.
“Zurdo is a southpaw, that brings its own problems. I’m confident in fighting him, he brings a lot of different attributes – super-tough, really good punch output. I’m settled at the weight but he’ll be used to faster guys.
It makes for a really intriguing fight and it’s a massive challenge for me. [Trainer] Shane McGuigan and I are already working on a gameplan. People saw a different side of me in my last fight but this time, there will be even more surprise in what people see.”
- CBS on what dangers Zurdo poses, and how the team are planning some surprises
Full fight card, is as follows
Cruiserweight: Gilberto Ramirez (c) vs. Chris Billam-Smith (c) for WBA, WBO world cruiserweight titles
Light-welterweight: Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr
Light-welter: Oscar Duarte vs. Kenneth Sims Jr
Minimumweight: Oscar Collazo (c) vs. Edwin Hernandez for WBO world minimumweight title
Lightweight, 10 rounds: William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 