Chris Billam-Smith has promised “absolute fireworks” when he meets Ryan Rozicki on June 6, live on Sky Sports.
Billam-Smith returns to his hometown to fight Canada’s Rozicki, a brutal puncher, at the Bournemouth International Centre, headlining Zuffa Boxing’s first UK event.
The former WBO world champion is setting out to return to the very top of the sport. He expects a victory over Rozicki to lead him to an eventual showdown with Australia’s Jai Opetaia.
“I want to prove I’m the best cruiserweight in the world and keep improving,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports News.
“That’s what I’ve been doing in this year out, improving. That’s what I want to be seen as and known as – the No 1 in the world.
“And I don’t do that without beating Opetaia, so that’s the aim.”
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Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki sit down with each other ahead of their June 6 showdown live on Sky Sports
Trainer Shane McGuigan believes Billam-Smith can not only get the Opetaia fight, but win it when he does.
“There’s vulnerabilities there with Jai Opetaia,” McGuigan told Sky Sports. “Let’s be real. He’s been hurt before by [David] Nyika but he got complacent in that fight and he got hit with a great shot.”
McGuigan did acknowledge: “When he was hurt he still fired and still got the desired effect with a brutal knockout against Nyika. But for us we’re looking at how to beat him.
“For us it’s how to force our fight on him and, without giving away too much, how to force him into our fight.”
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Chris Billam-Smith insists a fight with Jai Opetaia ‘will definitely happen’ and says it’s a big factor in his decision to sign with Zuffa
He added: “There are very good wins [on Opetaias’ record. Mairis] Briedis I think was one of the best fighters the cruiserweight division has had. That was a huge win, especially so early on in his career. Then to do it again, but it was a tired Briedis back then, they’re good wins.
“But he’s not fought somebody like Chris. That’s my opinion. He thinks he might have by boxing Jack Massey but he hasn’t.
“Chris is more of an aggressive fighter, more of an attacking fighter [than Briedis]. He fights in waves and throws ferocious combinations and changes the tempo up a lot so it’s not as easy to prepare for, we don’t believe.”
Watch Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki on June 6, live on Sky Sports. Buy tickets here
