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Ben Shalom and Sky have embraced Adam Azim as their fast rising star, which the 22-year-old’s head coach Shane McGuigan believes is justified and reinforced by the increased maturity from an ambitious contender eager to assert himself on the world scene – starting with a former champion Saturday. Continue reading “McGuigan hails Azim’s maturity before Lipinets test, Billam-Smith’s return set”
Jai Opetaia is two weeks removed from his latest assignment – another stoppage win – dismissing former sparring partner David Nyika in four rounds to retain his IBF/Ring Magazine titles after original opponent Huseyin Cinkara withdrew through injury. There was to be no fairytale story, though Opetaia still fancies unifying a cruiserweight division with movement aplenty at the top. Continue reading “Opetaia: Whether boxing or navigating politics, you’ve always got to adapt”
Chris Billam-Smith’s second pro career defeat in Riyadh this past weekend wasn’t one to be ashamed of, fighting through injury and a bad cut over twelve rounds against now-unified WBO and WBA cruiserweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez, who appears set for a Jai Opetaia unification in 2025. Billam-Smith’s trainer Shane McGuigan spoke well on social media about his charge. Continue reading “McGuigan: CBS boxed with a broken hand, rib injury and cut in Zurdo unification loss”
Chris Billam-Smith produced a spirited display but absorbed too much damage and that proved the precursor to an unsuccessful attempt at unifying the cruiserweight division, as newly-crowned WBA world titleholder Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez boxed clever en route to a 12-round unanimous decision win in their Riyadh main event on Latino Night, wrestling WBO championship gold his way. Continue reading “Zurdo outboxes Billam-Smith to unify WBO, WBA world cruiserweight titles”
The night Chris Billam-Smith claimed world cruiserweight gold in Bournemouth was Shane McGuigan’s proudest moment as a coach to date. Yet the trainer knows his hard-working champion needs more than just willpower and desire to dethrone newly-crowned WBA titleholder Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez during their much-anticipated WBO, WBA unification in Riyadh this weekend. Continue reading “McGuigan: CBS needs a mixture of Bivol, Goulamirian gameplan for Zurdo success”
Continue reading “CBS-Zurdo unification set for Nov. 16 in Riyadh as cruiserweight moving again”
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. Continue reading “Nov. 16 the targeted date as Billam-Smith praises Zurdo before proposed unification”
Composure was key for Chris Billam-Smith as he boxed smartly to blunt Richard Riakporhe on enemy soil at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium, retaining his WBO cruiserweight world title against an old foe. Elsewhere, Jack Massey stifled Isaac Chamberlain to win European honours at 200lbs while Ben Whittaker’s critics will persist after a puzzling 10-round shutout in the co-main.
Continue reading “Billam-Smith avenges Riakporhe defeat with UD12 win to retain WBO world cruiserweight title”
Last year, WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith achieved his dream by winning a world title at the home of his beloved Bournemouth football club. Before he can think about unification plans though, he enters into the lion’s den as defending titleholder itching to avenge his one pro defeat against Richard Riakporhe, a month shy of five years since their first meeting. Continue reading “Chris Billam-Smith interview: Defending champ excited to silence decline doubters”
Tomorrow night should see Jai Opetaia make the third defence of his IBF world cruiserweight title. Instead, it’s for a vacant belt in a rematch against the man who inflicted a double jaw break against him, less than two full years ago. Having made light work of two Brits in-between, the Aussie is on a mission to unify the cruiserweight division – and disrespect has fuelled that intensity. Continue reading “Disrespected, denied but stronger for the experience: Jai Opetaia is going nowhere”
A month shy of five full years since their first fight, a competitive clash over ten rounds on Dillian Whyte’s undercard, Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe headline their own show at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium on June 15. Their paths have veered vastly differently since that night in south London, but now they do battle again – one a defending world champion with Stateside ambitions, the other expects to prove he’s been the better man all along.
Continue reading “CBS-Riakporhe 2: June 15 promises jeopardy and much-needed clarity, in rematch for WBO world cruiserweight title”
It’s a much-anticipated matchup more than five years in the making, and in six weeks’ time, we’ll finally crown an undisputed king at 175lbs when unified champion Artur Beterbiev boxes long-reigning WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol in a battle of two unbeaten Russians. Even as time has passed, the general public appear split on who will prevail and how this fight will be won and lost.
Continue reading “Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol: At long last, light-heavyweight will have one undisputed king”
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