Gilberto Ramirez and Chris Billiam-Smith meet in the man event on Saturday, November 16th, in a unification fight at a cruiserweight in Riyadh on Latino Night. The 34-year-old WBO champion Billiam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) will take on WBA champ Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) in a 12-round fight, with the winner likely to face IBF champ Jai Opetaia in a three-belt unification next.
(Credit Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
Huggers Battle In Main Event
Zurdo Ramirez and Billiam-Smith are under much pressure to entertain, as neither is known for their entertaining style. The 34-year-old Billiam-Smith is a clincher and doesn’t possess a lot of power. His recent fights have been very boring to watch, but not quite as bad as Zurdo’s in that regard. Both are what you call ‘Huggers,’ and it’s poison on the eyes for the average fan,
The winner of the Ramirez vs. Billiam-Smith fight is seen as the next victim for IBF champ Jai Opetaia, who is on another level, talented and power-wise, than either of these guys. What we’re basically seeing on Saturday night is the next victim for Opetaia being decided, and that takes away much of the interest.
Golden Boy put this fight in the main event due to it being a unification, but it’s a match that hasn’t attracted much interest from U.S. fans, who still remember Ramirez from his one-sided loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
It would have been wiser to place Ramirez vs. Billiam-Smith on the undercard below these fights:
- William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer
- Oscar Duarte vs. Botirzhon Akhmedov
- Jose Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
Although Ramirez, 33, has reinvented himself, winning his last two contests, he’s adopted a boring, pleasing hit-and-move style. Obviously, Ramirez had no choice because he didn’t possess the power to stand and trade at cruiserweight like he’d done at 175 and 168.
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya is trying to turn Ramirez into a star, but it’s not likely to happen. He’s a 15-year pro about to turn 34. If Ramirez hasn’t achieved stardom at this point, he never will.
The southpaw Ramirez has won his last two fights, beating a very slow 36-year-old WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian by a 12-round unanimous decision on March 30 to become a two-division world champion and Joe Smith Jr.
Chris Billiam-Smith’s Recent Wins
Richard Riakporhe
Mateusz Masternak
Lawrence Okolie
Isaac Chamberlain
“At the top of the bill, you have two of the top cruiserweight in the world right now going at it for two belts with the likelihood of facing the #1 cruiserweight in the world. That’s Jai Opetaia that is going to be watching that fight very closely,” said commentator Chris Mannix to DAZN Boxing, talking about Saturday’s fight between WBC champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and WBO champ Chris Billiam-Smith in the main event.
“Zurdo has made a tremendous run over a short period of time, winning a world title in only his second fight in the weight class [against 36-year-old WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian on March 30, 2024].
Why Zurdo’s Career Hasn’t Blossomed
– Weak resume
– Lack of power
– No charisma
– Failure to master the English language
– Boring fighting style
“Chris Billiam-Smith is a career-long cruiserweight that is just now starting to make a name for himself [at 34]. These two fighters are great. It’s going to be a great clash of styles,” said Mannix.
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