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Chris Billam-Smith after world title shot following return to winning ways
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith is keen for his next fight to be for another world title, with ‘The Gentleman’ eyeing up a bout with WBC belt holder Badou Jack,
Billam-Smith, 21-2 (13), is ranked fourth with the WBC, having bounced back from November’s loss to WBO and WBA champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez with a victory over Brandon Glanton, 20-3 (17).
‘CBS’ believes that that victory, over the fifth rated cruiserweight in the world, combined with his previous reign as WBO champion between May 2023 and November 2024, is enough proof that he should be fighting for world titles.
A top 10 contender across all four sanctioning bodies, Billam-Smith is rated highest by the organisation he was champion with – the WBO labelling the Bournemouth fighter the number one contender in their recent ranking updates.
That leaves him well-poised for a rematch against Zurdo Ramirez – but the WBA and WBO title holder hopes to unify his titles against IBF champion Jai Opetaia, 27-0 (21).
Both Ramirez, 47-1 (30), and Opetaia are in action this summer, the former facing Yuniel Dorticos, 27-2 (25), on June 28, the latter up against Italian Claudio Squeo, 17-0 (9) on June 8.
If both come through, it appears likely that the pair will meet to put all three of their belts on the line before the end of the year.
Billam-Smith certainly thinks so, telling The Ring: “From what I hear, Zurdo and Opetaia will fight each other if they both come through their next fights, which I expect them to do."
He added: “That’s an interesting fight in itself, but for me that only leaves Jack as a target to win a belt. Obviously I am the number four still with the WBC and beat the number five in Glanton. I would like to think that I'd be well in position to fight Badou Jack next.”
Jack’s reign as the WBC champion has been an odd one, the Swede briefly vacating the strap to chase bridgerweight honours, before being reinstated as champion over two years after winning it.
The 41-year-old returned to the ring to defeat the WBC’s champion in recess Noel Mikaelian via majority decision. The fight between the two at the start of May failed to grab much attention.
“That would be the ideal fight,” continued Billam-Smith.
He added: “Do I want to fight for a world title? Yes. I don't really want to keep having these in-between fights. I understand the last one I had to because I was coming off the back of a loss, but I just felt like if you fight someone in the top five with that sanctioning body, you'd think it'd boost you up the rankings, especially given my previous experience of being world champion. I'd love to get the Badou Jack fight, that would be ideal.”
Whilst fully aware that he will have to wait for his chance to do so, Billam-Smith reiterated that he was still out to avenge his loss to Ramirez.
The Mexican became just the second man to defeat him, after Richard Riakporhe. However, Billam-Smith reversed that earlier loss last year, beating Riakporhoe on points.
He added: “I'd love to fight Zurdo again. “I'd love that opportunity, just like I did with Richard Riakporhe, who was the first person to beat me as a pro. I put that one right in our second fight and now I want to avenge the Zurdo one, too. I want to right that wrong. It was a fantastic fight and he won correctly, but it was competitive throughout. It'd be a fight I'd love.
Billam-Smith already has thoughts of how he would approach the rematch, sharing: “I’d go in there a lot smarter defensively. I went in there relying too much on brute strength, a bit too attack-minded. This time, I would not look to throw with him and hope my shots knock him out, which wasn't the game plan, but it felt like that at times in there. But it felt like that where I was chasing the fight I had to just look to land something big and I just wasn't able to."
He concluded: “I would go in there with more intelligence and it would definitely be a different outcome."
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