Chris Billam-Smith is now up against a ticking clock to decide on his next in-ring opportunity.
The sanctioning body has now issued a hard deadline for Billam-Smith, 21-2 (13 KOs), to formally notify all parties of his intentions.
“Team Billam-Smith has until Monday, October 20, 2025 to confirm in writing to the WBO whether they will fight Roman Fress,” WBO president Gustavo Olivieri informed BoxingScene and other outlets on Saturday. “Failure to confirm will result in the selection of the next available contender per WBO rules.”
As previously reported by BoxingScene, SES Boxing – Fress’ promoter – won the rights to the ordered interim title fight. The Magdeburg, Germany-headquartered outfit submitted $156,921 as the lone bidder for Thursday’s hearing. BOXXER, Billam-Smith’s promoter, did not participate, for reasons the UK-based company will have to explain.
Billam-Smith is entitled to 60 per cent of the winning amount, which leaves him with a $94,152.60 payday to fight in Fress’ home country. A firm location was not yet revealed, though SES confirmed its plans to stage the bout next January 14 in either Magdeburg or Vechta, Germany.
Immediate post-purse-bid speculation suggested that Billam-Smith and BOXXER will explore other opportunities. However, the onus was on them to inform the WBO of its disinterest after the first purse bid came and went without a single participant.
The minimum bid at the time was $300,000. It was then unanimously voted by the WBO Championship Committee to lower the minimum bid by 50 per cent to $150,000, after which point SES Boxing stepped up to claim promotional rights.
Although not an ideal payday or scenario, the cruiserweight division isn’t exactly overflowing with better options.
Lineal and IBF champion Jai Opetaia is already locked into a December 6 title defense against mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez – who defeated Billam-Smith to unify the WBA and WBO titles last November – is sidelined as he recovers from shoulder surgery. His extended unavailability is the reason why the WBO agreed to sanction an interim title fight.
WBC titleholder Badou Jack is due to face mandatory challenger and former titleholder Noel Mikaelyan on December 13 in Los Angeles. The bout is an ordered rematch from their May 3 encounter, which saw Jack – a three-division titleholder – claim an unpopular majority decision.
Billam-Smith has fought just once since his defeat to Ramirez. It came in a 12-round decision victory over Brandon Glanton on the April 26 Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn undercard in North London.
Billam-Smith, a 35-year-old from Bournemouth, England, held the WBO title from May 2023 through his loss to Ramirez last November. A win over Fress would position him as the mandatory challenger to his old title. There would also exist the possibility of an upgrade to full from interim titlist if Ramirez opted to take on any other fight.
Fress has every intention of taking on what will mark by far the toughest test of his career.
The Kazakhstan-born Fress has won seven fights in a row since a May 2022 split decision defeat to Armend Xhoxhaj. His most recent victory came in a 10-round, unanimous decision over Michael Seitz on May 17 in Magdeburg, a show that commemorated SES Boxing’s 25th anniversary.
