Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billiam-Smith showed his face and injured right hand on X from his close 12 round unanimous decision loss of WBA champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez from last Saturday’s unification bout in Latin Night at The Venue in Riyadh.
(Credit: Golden Boy/Cris Esqueda)
Billiam-Smith, 34,’s well-bandaged right eye was still swollen shut, and his broken right thumb was covered in bandages. He also suffered a fractured left hand, as well as injured ribs. One thing is certain.
Billiam-Smith cannot continue to be involved in punishing fights like we saw last Saturday because his career will be over in three or four more fights. He has already pushed the limit, close to 35, after being in tough fights against Lawrence Okole and Isaac Chamberlain.
Should Billiam-Smith be fired?
It was an expensive fight for Billiam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs), as he took a beating, and many felt it was a lost cause by the eighth. He was tired, outmatched, and took a beating from the better prepared “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs). Billiam-Smith lacked the mobility or stamina to pull off the win. No one would have criticized him if he retreated to his corner.
Scores
116-112
116-112
116-113
Here’s an exclusive look at how @ChrisBillam cures his brutal fight against Zurdo Ramirez on Saturday.
In total: right thumb broken, left hand fractured, stitches in and out of eye, damaged ribs. pic.twitter.com/8U5FiH9VMq
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 18, 2024
Final Punch Statistics
– Zurdo Ramirez connected on 223 of 786 punches for 28% accuracy
– Billam-Smith was 200 of 676 shots for 30%
Zurdo Ramirez was a winnable fight, but not with the right style that Billiam-Smith used. It was a fighting style that Mexican Ramirez has consistently done well against during his 15-year professional career. The guy that Ramirez lost to, Dmitry Bivol, was a pure boxer who outboxed him smartly.
Billiam-Smith should at least try to follow Bivol’s plan rather than fighting like his beaten opponents in the past, Arsen Goulamirian, Joe Smith, Yunieski Gonzalez and Jesse Hart.
Billiam-Smith’s recent fights
Richard Riakporhe
Mateusz Masternak
Lawrence Quarter
Isaac Chamberlain
