Cheavon Clarke confident of repeating amateur success against Chris Billam-Smith
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Promoter promises big fights when Chris Billam-Smith returns
Dec 11, 2024 • 4:00 AM ET
Chris Billam-Smith lost his WBO cruiserweight title to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in Saudi Arabia, but in doing so the Bournemouth hero won plaudits for his heart and bravery.
Billam-Smith was courageous in defeat, but lost a 12-round decision with Ramirez adding to his WBA belt to become unified champion.
Billam-Smith has vowed to fight on, and he wants to compete at a high level and is in no mood to take a step back in class. He could head to the WBC Convention to press his claims for a fight for their belt, with Noel Mikaelyan in the champion’s chair and Ramirez likely to go on and fight IBF champion Jai Opetaia later in the year.
Billam-Smith’s promoter, Ben Shalom of Boxxer, was full of praise for his fighter’s performance and grit.
“It was incredible,” said Shalom. “Every time he fights, he gives everything. The way he handled defeat, he did take punishment but he kept coming and kept having spells of success, it was a huge performance.
“I know the Saudis were hugely impressed by him, and I think they’ll be looking to have him back, which is great. I think he’s going to be straight back in the mix. He's made himself into a big name in that division now, and there’ll be plenty of big fights for him to come.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
