WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez and WBO champ Chris Billiam-Smith successfully weighed in at Friday’s weigh-in for their unification fight this Saturday night, November 16th. Ramirez weighed 199.6 lbs, and Billam-Smith came in at 199.4.
(Credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
During the face-off, an intense-looking Billiam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) stared holes through Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs), who initially was slightly smiling but became uncomfortable with the way he was looked at.
Billiam-Smith Intimidates Zurdo
At the end of the staredown, Ramirez looked visibly shaken from the experience. Billiam-Smith had sent him a message that he intends to go to war on Saturday night, and he’s not playing around with Zurdo. Billiam-Smith had a shark-like look to him. By the way, he was staring intensely at Ramirez, so it might not go well for the Mexican fighter on Saturday.
Weigh-in Results
Gilberto Ramirez 199.6 vs. Chris Billiam-Smith 199.4
Jose Ramirez 139.6 vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. 140
William Zepeda 134.2 vs. Tevin Farmer 135
Oscar Collazo 104.8 vs. Thammooon Niyomtrong 104.8
Oscar Duarte 141.8 vs. Batyr Akhmedov 141.8
Saturday’s Ramirez-Billiam-Smith card will be shown live on DAZN. Given all the great fights on the card, this is an excellent deal for fans not having to pay to watch.
#1-ranked lightweight contender William Zepeda weighed in at 134.2 lbs, and Tevin Farmer came in at 135 lbs for their 10-round fight. Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) has voiced his displeasure about Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn discussing a fight between Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson on February 22nd in a Riyadh Season event.
Farmer doesn’t like that he’s been overlooked and seen as a mere opponent for Zepeda, but it’s understandable why. Farmer, 34, isn’t young, and he’s not the same fighter he once was when he was campaigning at 130. At lightweight, fighters need power to survive, and he doesn’t have what it takes.
Shakur could learn that lesson for himself if he faces Zepeda in February. Athletic, defensive fighters can’t thrive at 135 against the big hitters.
We saw how Vasily Lomachenko struggled when he moved up to lightweight, and Shakur looked the same in his ONLY fight against a good opponent in the division, Edwin De Los Santos.
Former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez weighed in at 134.2, and Arnold Barboza Jr. came in at 139.6 lbs for their 10-round fight. Ramirez (29-1, 19 KOs) is looking for his fourth straight win since losing to Josh Taylor by a close 12-round unanimous decision three years ago on May 22nd, 2021.
It’s difficult to know what the 32-year-old Ramirez has left because he’s been rebuilding since that defeat. It shouldn’t have taken this long for Ramirez to come back, but it has, and Saturday is an important test to see if he can still hang with the best. #1 WBO Barboza (30-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a controversial 10-round split decision to Sean McComb on April 20th. A lot of fans thought Barboza deserved a loss in that fight, and so did I.
WBO Minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo weighed in at 104.8 lbs, and WBA champ Thammanoon Niyomtrong came in at 104.8 for their unification fight.
Lightweight contender Oscar Duarte and his opponent Bortirzhon Akhmedov both came in at 141.8 for their 10-round fight.
“If Zepeda wins and looks bad, that’s good for him. It makes the fight happen a little quicker,” said Chris Algieri to Proox about William Zepeda benefiting by not impressing against Tevin Farmer.
“Shakur is coming off that hand surgery and going straight into a fight with Zepeda. I don’t think it will happen. You’re going to have Zepeda right in front of you. Shakur is going to have to crack Zepeda.
It’s possible that Zepeda is going to blitz Farmer and take him out quickly in this fight because he’s too powerful for the former IBF super featherweight champion.
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