Chris Billam-Smith expects Gilberto Ramirez will prove to be a tough opponent. “The most knowledgeable” of his profession
On Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the WBO and WBA champions will compete for their titles and status as leading contenders for Jai Opetaia as the world’s best cruiserweight.
Billam-Smith, 34, turned his career around with his WBO title win over Lawrence Okolie and the defense he has made since against Mateu. Sz Masternak and most recently Richard Riakporgh in June.
If in his fight with Riakporhe he wins over an opponent long considered destined for the heavyweight division, in “Zurdo” Ramirez he will fight another one who has made a name for himself in the Zur division. Per-middleweight and light-heavyweight Therefore, they differ greatly in height and form.
Billam-Smith’s trainer, Shane McGuigan, has stressed the importance of impressing the judges on his Mexican opponent, who he believes can make it through to the close round. But with all due respect to Ramirez Billam-Smith, whose fight with Riakporhe has shown he is still improving – it would be short-sighted to say he is his toughest opponent yet.
“He’s really good,” the Englishman told BoxingScene. “He’s a big name. Without having to be a very talkative person. And he was able to win the world championship in the cruiserweight division. You can’t beat a champion early. without skills He has good punches. He’s very strong because[former Arsenal opponent]Gulamirian is a good fighter and he’s got a lot of strings to his arrow. He’s a crafty guy in there. Really good. He’s shown that throughout his career.
His feet slowed down like a cruiser. That might be a weak point. But he still has good feet and good posture and he hasn’t lost his shape. He didn’t move much. But his variety of punches is really good. He leans back very well. He has a good left hand to the body and head. He controls the distance well. Good punching power He buzzed a few times with Goulamirian, who was a very strong person. He is truly an all-rounder. There aren’t many obvious weaknesses. When talking about his pace I’m not that fast either. But he has a good punch and a variety of punches. which is dangerous to cruisers
“Lawrence is a difficult person. Because Lawrence is Lawrence. And he was extremely uncomfortable. And that’s always a tough fight. No one looked good against Lawrence in terms of performance. And he looked bad when he won sometimes. Therefore, it is difficult for him to look good when facing off. Awkwardness is a skill in itself. It’s hard to beat. I have experience (In training and sharing a gym with Okolie) For this fight, I have a game plan and need to adjust between the fights. But I think he has the most qualities out of everyone. (Mateusz) Masternek is obviously a strong fighter as well, but (Ramirez is) the most well-rounded fighter I’ve ever fought.
“Richard and Zurdo’s styles are opposites. Richard is a one-punch knockout artist. So you have to worry about his backhand. Meanwhile, Gilberto will throw a lot of shots. different appointments different shock Different angles, right hook; jab; Correct capital letters Richard was limited to that backhand. And the punch output is not the same.”
The 33-year-old Ramirez’s only previous loss came against light heavyweight great Dmitry Bivol in 2022. Billum-Smith Lost to Riakporhe in 2019 before avenging that defeat with a convincing win in June.
“It will be interesting to see him deal with a busy, intense cruiserweight that can pack a punch. Because I fought on a level he had never seen before. May be at any weight level. No matter how he punches in a fight,” Billam-Smith continued, “I fight with a very high intensity. I punched every second of every round. And that will be the telling factor in the fight. And how will he handle it?
“Bivol uses his feet all the time. He goes in and out with his feet. He didn’t lose his point. I’m different from Bivol – I’m not boxed like Bivol, there’s not much I can take away. Except he can be beaten. It’s not like it was at the beginning of his career. It is the highest level. as well in the Middle East That bodes well for me. But Bivol and I are very different fighters. In terms of style, strengths and weaknesses
“I will lose some of the advantages I might have had at cruiserweight. Because I’m usually someone who has quick hands and a good punch. But in terms of rhetoric I think it goes well with the exciting battles. For Richard There is still a lot of work to be done besides the fight. In terms of taking one shot away from him. While this time it was a matter of letting go of them. and various shots And that will be the key.”
