Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billiam-Smith showed off his face and injured right hand on X from his close 12-round unanimous decision loss to WBA champ Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez from last Saturday’s unification clash on Latino Night at The Venue in Riyadh.
(Credit: Golden Boy/Cris Esqueda)
The 34-year-old Billiam-Smith’s heavily bandaged right eye was still swollen, almost closed, and his broken right thumb was covered with wraps. He also suffered a fractured left hand, as well as injured ribs. One thing is for sure.
Billiam-Smith can’t continue to be involved in punishing fights like we saw last Saturday because his career will be over in three or four more fights. He’s already pushing the limit, nearing 35, having been in grueling fights against Lawrence Okole and Isaac Chamberlain.
Should Billiam-Smith Been Pulled Out?
It was a costly fight for Billiam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs), as he took a beating, and many felt that it was a lost cause by the eighth. He was exhausted, overmatched, and taking a beating by the better-prepared ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs). Billiam-Smith lacked the mobility or the stamina to pull out the victory. No one would have criticized him if he retired in his corner.
Scores
116-112
116-112
116-113
Here’s an exclusive look at how @ChrisBillam looks after his brutal fight against Zurdo Ramirez on Saturday.
In total: Broken right thumb, fractured left hand, stitches inside and outside of his eye, damaged ribs. pic.twitter.com/8U5FiH9VMq
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 18, 2024
Final Punch Stats
– Zurdo Ramirez connected on 223 of 786 punches for 28% accuracy
– Billam-Smith was 200 of 676 shots for 30%
Zurdo Ramirez was a winnable fight, but not with the straight-ahead style that Billiam-Smith used. That was a fighting style that the Mexican Ramirez has always done well against during his 15-year pro career. The guy that Ramirez lost to, Dmitry Bivol, was a pure boxer who outboxed him with intelligence.
Billiam-Smith should have at least tried to follow Bivol’s blueprint rather than fighting like his past conquered opponents, Arsen Goulamirian, Joe Smith, Yunieski Gonzalez, and Jesse Hart.
Billiam-Smith’s Recent Fights
Richard Riakporhe
Mateusz Masternak
Lawrence Okolie
Isaac Chamberlain
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