Billam-Smith ‘dared to be great’ in Ramirez defeat

Boxing promoter Ben Shalom said that Chris Billam-Smith has taken him on a “special” journey throughout his reign as WBO cruiserweight champion.

“The Gentleman” came up short on Saturday as he was outpointed and badly bloodied in defeat against Gilberto Ramirez, as the Mexican unified the WBA and WBO titles.

Shalom praised the grit of his former world champion, however, who stayed on his feet throughout the 12 round contest despite taking some heavy blows and sustaining a serious cut.

“Chris dared to be great in there,” Shalom told BBC Sport after the bout.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him, he is such a warrior and every time he fights I feel proud to be associated with him and inspired by him.

“Chris will be gutted and we are all gutted but when I look back on the journey that he has taken us on it has been very special.”

Straight after the fight Billam-Smith was taken to a hospital to get a cut and suspected broken rib checked over.

He also admitted his vision was blurry past a certain point in the contest so those close to him were keen for him to receive medical attention straight away.

The fight was Billam-Smith’s first time fighting outside of the United Kingdom as he headlined on “Latino Night” in Saudi Arabia.

Billam-Smith has ‘changed his life’ in recent years

His journey since signing with promoter Shalom has been filled with success, fighting in his hometown of Bournemouth four times in a row as well as headlining twice in Premier League stadiums.

One of those was his hometown ground the Vitality Stadium where AFC Bournemouth play and where he won his WBO title.

“When I first met Chris he couldn’t even dream of a world title,” Shalom added.

“I’ve seen him change his life and come through so many milestones and the best thing about it is that he has not changed at all, he’s still the same guy I first met three years ago.

“That’s the measure of the man, I can’t speak highly enough of him and he should be an inspiration for every professional boxer that with hard work and consistency you can get to the very top.”

The incentive for the winner of the bout prior to Saturday night was the opportunity to then further unify the cruiserweight division and face the other champions on a path to try to claim all of the titles.

With Ramirez coming out on top it now remains unclear as to where Billam-Smith will next take his professional boxing career.

Aged 34 and with a record of 20 wins and two defeats, many might consider it a decent time to hang up the gloves but the Briton refused to make any concrete plans after the fight – other than enjoying the upcoming festive period and getting straight back in the gym.

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