Billam-Smith Aims to Mirror Haye's Success in Ramirez Showdown.

Posted 1 months ago

WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith admires David Haye, the last British boxer to unify world championship belts in the cruiserweight division.

David Haye won the WBA and WBC titles in November 2007, and Chris Billam-Smith aims to follow in his footsteps when he faces WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on November 16.

"It's a fight I'm really excited about and a huge opportunity for me," Billam-Smith told BBC Sport. "I'm thrilled it's a unification bout. The last British fighter to unify at cruiserweight was David Haye, whom I've always admired for his fighting style and how he took apart his opponents."

At 33, Ramirez is preparing for his third fight in the cruiserweight division after competing successfully at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight. He made history as the first Mexican to win a cruiserweight title when he defeated Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA belt in March.

The only blemish on 'Zurdo's' record is a loss to current WBA and IBO champion Dmitry Bivol in the light-heavyweight category.

"Fighting a southpaw like Zurdo presents its own challenges," Billam-Smith noted. "I'm confident in my ability to take him on, but I don’t have much experience against southpaws. He has many strengths—he's incredibly tough and has an impressive punch output."