WBO officials quickly huddled in an effort to move forward with its proposed secondary title fight.
BoxingScene has confirmed that a second purse bid hearing has been scheduled for the previously ordered Chris Billam-Smith vs. Roman Fress clash. The new session will take place this Thursday from WBO headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The move comes less than two weeks after their previous scheduled hearing ended without any takers for the WBO interim 200lbs title fight. An emergency meeting held by the sanctioning body’s Championship Committee ended with the unanimously voted ruling to lower the minimum bid by 50 per cent to $150,000.
Despite no interest from any promoter – perhaps only in part to the original $300,000 purse bid minimum – the WBO felt it necessary to move forward with the bout. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. 48-1 (30 KOs), is the recognized WBO and WBA titleholder but is currently on the sidelines as he recovers from shoulder surgery earlier this summer.
England’s Billam-Smith, 21-2 (13 KOs) – a former WBO titlist – is promoted by BOXXER. Germany’s Fress is represented by Ulf Steinforth’s SES Boxing. Both boxers are the two highest rated challengers in the most current WBO cruiserweight rankings.
To date, neither promoter seems interested in taking the lead on the fight, though the reduced minimum price tag could potentially pique interest.
Billam-Smith – known simply as “CBS” - previously won the WBO title in a May 2023 upset victory over then-unbeaten titleholder Lawrence Okolie in his hometown of Bournemouth, England. Two successful defenses followed before he dropped a unanimous decision to Ramirez in their WBA/WBO unification bout last November 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Just one fight has followed for the firmer titleholder. It came on the April 26 Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn undercard, where he outpointed hard-hitting Brandon Glanton over twelve rounds in North London. It marked his first win since he defeated unbeaten Richard Riakporhe last June 15 to retain his WBO belt and avenge his lone career defeat at the time.
Fress (23-1, 13 KOs) has never previously fought on the major title stage, not even for a secondary belt or in a sanctioned eliminator. Such an opportunity would mark his first scheduled 12-round contest.
The Kazakhstan-born boxer – now based in Magdeburg, Germany - has won seven fights in a row since a May 2022 split decision defeat to Armend Xhoxhaj. Fress’ most recent victory came in a ten-round, unanimous decision over Michael Seitz on a May 17 in Magdeburg that commemorated SES Boxing’s 25th anniversary.
Ramirez will be required to face the existing interim titlist once he is medically cleared to return to the ring.
