Gilberto Ramirez and Chris Billiam-Smith meet in the men’s event on Saturday, November 16, in a cruiserweight unification fight in Riyadh on Latino Night. 34-year-old WBO champion Billiam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) will face WBA champion Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) in a 12-round fight, with the winner likely to face IBF champion Jai Opetaia. in a unification of three belts later.
(Credit Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
Battle of the Huggers in the Main Event
Zurdo Ramirez and Billiam-Smith are under a lot of pressure to entertain, as neither is known for their style of entertainment. The 34-year-old Billiam-Smith is a clincher and doesn’t possess much power.
His recent fights have been very boring to watch, but not as bad as Zurdo in that regard. Both are what you call themhug each other,’ and it’s poison on the eyes for the average fan. I absolutely hate this fight with my whole being. I want to go, sending to the center of Sagittarius A.
The undercard fights are excellent, but only the Ramirez-Billiam-Smith fight seems out of place. If I was the one calling the shots on Golden Boy, I’d bury him and focus on promoting other fights.
The winner of the fight Ramirez vs. Billiam-Smith is seen as the next victim for the IBF champion Jai Opetaiawho is on another level, talent and power-wise, than one of these guys. What we see in the background on Saturday night is the next victim for Opetaia that has been decided, and that removes much of the interest.
Golden Boy put this fight in the main event due to unification, but it’s a match that didn’t attract much interest from fans in the United States, who still remember Ramirez from his one-sided loss to Dmitry Buffalo in 2022.
It would have been wiser to put Ramirez vs. Billiam-Smith on the card below these fights:
- William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer
- Oscar Duarte vs. Botirzhon Akhmedov
- Jose Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
Although the 33-year-old Ramirez has reinvented himself, winning his last two contests, he has adopted a boring and pleasant style of striking and movement. Obviously, Ramirez had no choice because he didn’t have the power to stay and trade at cruiserweight like he did at 175 and 168.
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya is trying to turn Ramirez into a starbut that is not likely to happen. He is a 15-year-old professional who will turn 34. If Ramirez has not achieved the star at this point, he never will.
Southpaw Ramirez has won his last two fights, defeating 36-year-old WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian by a 12-round unanimous decision on March 30 to become a two-division world champion and Joe Smith Jr.
Chris Billiam-Smith’s recent wins
Richard Riakporhe
Mateusz Masternak
Lawrence Quarter
Isaac Chamberlain
“At the top of the bill, you have two of the biggest cruiserweights in the world right now for two belts with the possibility of facing the #1 cruiserweight in the world. It is Jai Opetaia who will watch this fight very closely,” he said commentator Chris Mannix at DAZN BoxingThey talk about Saturday’s fight between WBC champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and WBO champion Chris Billiam-Smith in the main event.
“Zurdo has had a tremendous run in a short period of time, winning a world title in only his second fight in the weight class (against 36-year-old WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian on March 30, 2024).
Because Zurdo’s career did not blossom
– Weak resume
– Lack of power
– No charisma
– Failure to master the English language
– Boring fighting style
“Chris Billiam-Smith is a long career cruiserweight who is just now starting to make a name for himself (at 34). These two fighters are great. It will be a great clash of styles,” said Mannix.
