WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez and WBO champion Chris Billiam-Smith successfully weighed in at Friday’s weigh-in for their unification bout this Saturday night, November 16. Ramirez weighed in at 199.6 lbs, and Billam-Smith came in at 199.4.
(Credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
During the face-off, an intense-looking Billiam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) stared holes through Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs), who was initially a bit smiley but became uncomfortable with the way that was seen.
Billiam-Smith bullies Lefty
By the end of the watch, Ramirez looked visibly shaken by the experience. Billiam-Smith had sent him a message that he intends to go to war on Saturday night, and he is not playing with Zurdo. Billiam-Smith had a like a shark look at him. By the way, he was watching Ramirez intensely, so it might not go well for the Mexican fighter on Saturday.
Weighing results
Gilberto Ramirez 199.6 vs. Chris Billiam-Smith 199.4
Jose Ramirez 139.6 vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. 140
William Zepeda 134.2 vs. Tevin Farmer 135
Oscar Collazo 104.8 vs. Thammooon Niyomtrong 104.8
Oscar Duarte 141.8 vs. Batyr Akhmedov 141.8
Saturday’s Ramirez-Billiam-Smith card will be shown live on DAZN. Given all the great fights on the card, this is an excellent deal for fans who don’t have to pay to watch.
William Zepeda, the #1 lightweight contender, weighed in at 134.2 lbs, and Tevin Farmer came in at 135 lbs for their 10-round fight. Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) expressed his displeasure with Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn discussing a fight between Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) and the champion of WBC lightweight Shakur Stevenson on February 22. in an event of the Riyadh season.
Farmer does not like that he was neglected and seen as a single opponent for Zepeda, but it is understood why. Farmer, 34 years old, is not young, and he is not the same fighter he once was when he was campaigning at 130. At lightweight, fighters need power to survive, and he does not have it would like.
Shakur could learn that lesson for himself if he faces Zepeda in February. Athletic, defensive fighters can’t make it to 135 against big hitters.
We saw how Vasily Lomachenko struggled when he moved up to lightweight, and Shakur looked the same in his ONLY fight against a good opponent in the division, Edwin De Los Santos.
Former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez weighed in at 134.2, and Arnold Barboza Jr. he came in at 139.6 lbs for his 10 round fight. Ramirez (29-1, 19 KOs) is looking for his fourth straight win since losing to Josh Taylor via a close 12-round unanimous decision three years ago on May 22, 2021.
It’s hard to know what the 32-year-old Ramirez has left as he rebuilds from that defeat. It shouldn’t have taken this long for Ramirez to come back, but he did, and Saturday is an important test to see if he can still hang with the best. #1 WBO Barboza (30-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a controversial 10 round split decision over Sean McComb on April 20th. Many fans thought Barboza deserved a loss in that fight, and so did I.
WBO bantamweight champion Oscar Collazo weighed in at 104.8 lbs, and WBA champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong came in at 104.8 for their unification fight.
Lightweight contender Oscar Duarte and his opponent Bortirzhon Akhmedov both came in at 141.8 for their 10-round fight.
“If Zepeda wins and looks bad, good for him. It makes the fight happen a little faster,” said Chris Algieri to Proox about William Zepeda benefit from not impressing against Tevin Farmer.
“Shakur is coming off that hand surgery and going straight into a fight with Zepeda. I don’t think that’s going to happen. You have to have Zepeda right in front of you. Shakur is going to crack Zepeda.
It’s possible that Zepeda will knock Farmer out quickly in this fight because he is too powerful for the former IBF super featherweight champion.
