Chris Billam-Smith held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2023 to 2024 and he’s currently preparing to make another bid in an attempt to get his hands back on the belt this year
Nothing beats sparring in the Cuban quarter in Miami for a boxing MOT. Chris Billam-Smith and Adam Azim joined us before Christmas when Caroline Dubois fought Camilla Panatta on the Anthony Joshua/Jake Paul undercard.
Azim got a good workout ahead of his upcoming super lightweight bout next week but it was Billam-Smith who really benefited against a world class cruiser.
Though he lost last time out in a unification fight against Gilberto Ramirez, the bout was close and did not damage Billam-Smith’s prospects as he looks to make the most of this period in his career.
In six rounds of incredible intensity he showed just how ready he is against a kid with more than 300 amateur fights under his belt. From a psychological perspective it was crucial. You want to show what you are about, that your record is substantial.
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The Cubans were out to get the upper hand. That is how they are. There is no such thing as sparring for them. It was Chris or him, and it worked perfectly for us. It was brutally heavy-handed, no tippy-tappy stuff. Chris dominated the session, reaffirming his own standing as a world class cruiser.
We believe he has two more good years left at the top. He will never be better than he is at this point. He is physically strong and mentally mature. He knows his level and what he is capable of.
As much as Jack Massey would like to be the next in line, there is little to be gained from a domestic tear-up as far as Billam-Smith is concerned. Ultimately we are looking at the top, at the likes of IBF champion Jai Opetaia, WBC champ Noel Mikaelian and the rematch with Ramirez.
Billam-Smith has shown time and again that nothing is impossible. I’m so proud of him. When we talk about our gym to young fighters we hold him up as an example.
He is a guy that was not expected to achieve great things. No-one believed he could do it, but he did, winning British, European and then a world title.
He is truly the Cindarella Man of Bournemouth, a beacon for what you can become if you are successful at boxing. And there is still more to come from him.
Follow Barry on X at @ClonesCyclone @mcguigan’s_Gym
