Who won Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith? Results, highlights from 2024 Riyadh Season 'Latino Night' as Zurdo unifies cruiserweight titles

Dom Farrell

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Who won Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith? Results, highlights from 2024 Riyadh Season 'Latino Night' as Zurdo unifies cruiserweight titles image

Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez turned on the style to inflict a punishing unanimous decision defeat on Chris Billam-Smith and add the WBO cruiserweight title to his WBA crown in Riyadh.

Back in the Middle East two years after being comprehensively outclassed by Dmitry Bivol in Abu Dhabi on a chastening quest for light heavyweight glory, Ramirez was the man with the skills equation in his favour this time around.

The Bivol defeat was Ramirez's last at 175 lbs and, after dethroning France's Arsen Goulamirian in March, he overcame a tricky opening round to dominate the bloodied and brave Billam-Smith.

That heart and spirit perhaps earned the Englishman more credit than he was due on the scorecards — his relentless refusal to accept the inevitable meant he slugged away to the final bell to drop scores of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113.

Australia's lavishly gifted IBF champion Jai Opetaia — already a fixture on Riyadh Season cards – could be up next. That is a mouthwatering prospect and a bout that would propel Zurdo unquestionably into the big leagues.

A carefully managed journey over 48 professional fights moving up the weight divisions might not always have progressed at a satisfying pace. But on Saturday night, Ramirez made good on his superstar billing.

The Sporting News provided live updates from 'Latino Night' as well as round-by-round coverage of Zurdo vs. Billam-Smith

Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith live updates, highlights and commentary

Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith: SN live scorecard

Round123456789101112Total
Zurdo910101010101010109109117
Billam-Smith109999999910910111

GILBERTO 'ZURDO' RAMIREZ BEATS CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION TO WIN THE WBO AND RETAIN THE WBA CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE

2:22 a.m. AST/ 6:22 p.m. ET: The cards read 116-112 (twice) and 116-113 in Zurdo's favour, which feels a touch kind to Billam-Smith but maybe he earned that kindness with an unflinchingly brave effort. In truth, Ramirez was a level above in terms of footwork and punch variety. All the talk will be of a fight with Australia's super-slick IBF champion Jai Opetaia. That could be a cracker. Thanks for joining us tonight.

Round 12: Zurdo has no need to do anything heroic in this round, yet here he is trading hooks. Billam-Smith has to swing for the fences but this is all instinct and heart. Ramirez as him pinned in the neutral corner, Billam-Smith tags him with a couple of rights. Switches the attack to the body. Zurdo dips back onto the ropes and doesn't entirely successfully smother an uppercut. Trading to the be bell. The crowd rise. Superb bravery and will from Billam-Smith but Ramirez's skills have paid the bills here.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 117-111 Billam Smith

Round 11: Billam-Smith looking to build on that little bit of momentum but Zurdo is back to moving coolly around the target and landing clean head shots. Nice one-two from CBS, who forces Ramirez to retreat. Even so he's still eating power shots and surely can't see out of his left eye at this juncture.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 108-101 Billam Smith

Round 10: Ah, a good moment for Billam-Smith as he lands to the body and Zurdo retreats to the ropes. And another in centre-ring. That definitely had an effect, but Ramirez is still able to respond with a couple of lefts of his own. "Stay on him!" hollers coach McGuigan. Definitely CBS's best round since the opener.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 98-92 Billam Smith

Round 9: Zurdo works an angle for a hellacious left that snaps Billam-Smith's head back. His chin is made of granite but there must be a few cracks. He's still having moments of success but Ramirez is winning the exchanges with interest. CBS' eye is gushing blood. As is his nose. The doctor will probably have another look.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 89-82 Billam Smith

Round 8: A brave, better round from the bloodied Billam-Smith. But he finds himself on the end of a stingingly precise three-punch combination. Now a brutal right to the body from Zurdo. CBS gamely fires back but there's not as much on his punches as there was in those opening stages. A closer round but another to the Mexican.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 79-73 Billam Smith

Round 7: The doctor has a long look at Billam-Smith's eye, which is in a dreadful mess. We'd go to the cards if he can't continue, where you have to assume Zurdo has a very handy lead. Good combination from Billam-Smith but he's stopped in his tracks by another Ramirez counter. Zurdo stepping around to open up new angles of attack all the time, in and out. Quality stuff. A huge left the body hurts Billam-Smith. Zurdo follows up with a volley of head shots. The end might be close here.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 69-64 Billam Smith

Round 6: Zurdo finds his man upright at mid-range and he's running through the repertoire. It's starting to look like it's having an effect on Billam-Smith. There's a left hook down the pipe at close quarters again. Billam-Smith is trying to throw with Zurdo. It's brave but he can't match him for output or variety and is bleeding from the left eye.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 59-55 Billam Smith

Round 5: Billam-Smith has swelling around the left eye and damage to the eyelid from a head clash. That impressive first round suddenly feels a long time ago. But 'The Gentleman lands a fine uppercut moving in. He's better when he's not right in front of Ramirez and not loading up. Back comes Zurdo with a heavy hook to the midsection. Better round from Billam-Smith's round but he takes another clumping left hook to the jaw on the bell.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 49-46 Billam Smith

Round 4: Slightly more circumspect start to this session from CBS. Ramirez working around the target nicely before walking into a left hook. Billam-Smith a bit too much of an upright target at this juncture and Zurdo is scoring freely with hooks. And a right rocks Billam-Smith to his boots! The WBO champ looks to fire back to the body but takes another clipping left hook.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 39-37 Billam Smith

Round 3: Shane McGuigan in Billam-Smith's corner tells his man not to forget the jab. He doesn't need to be loading up on power shots when everything that lands seems to be having an impact on Zurdo. Nice straight right from Ramirez catches Billam-Smith pulling back. Now a left to the jaw. Good moments for the Mexican but Billam-Smith digs to the body and then moves upstairs. When they meet in that fashion it looks like a pumped up former super-middleweight against a fully-fledged cruiser. The Billam-Smith eats a huge left just before the bell.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 29-28 Billam Smith

Round 2: Billam-Smith finds the body with a right but ships a Zurdo left-hook for his trouble. That honey punch looks in good order for the WBA champ, who hasn't got much else going just yet. There's combination upstairs on the ropes that might get the juices flowing. Short left from CBS, Zurdo responds with a one-two. Billam-Smith check hook but there coming back in twos and threes now from Ramirez.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 19-19 Billam Smith

Round 1: Billam-Smith opens up with as solid jab that Ramirez has to wear. Zurdo looking to thrown under the Englishman's lead, then turns one around into a hook. Billam-Smith put some shots together off the straight right to wobble Zurdo! Referee Harvey Dock has word with Ramirez regarding use of the elbow in a clinch. Nice left from Zurdo but Billam-Smith walks through it and responds with a right of his own. And another right hook out of the break on the bell. Good opener for 'The Gentleman'.

SN unofficial scorecard: Zurdo 9-10 Billam Smith

1:20 a.m. AST/ 5:20 p.m. ET: It's national anthems time. UK, Mexico and Saudi Arabia all to get an airing. That gives me the opportunity to remind you we'll be going round-by-round for the WBA and WBO unification showdown.

1:17 a.m. AST/ 5:17 p.m. ET: It's main event time. Michael Buffer is in position doing his thing and Chris Billam-Smith has stormed into the ring. No messing about, black hood over his head. All business. Zurdo on the way.

Arnold Barboza Jr. beats Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision

12:58 a.m. AST/ 4:58 p.m. ET: No nonsense as Barboza prevails by margins of 97-93 and 96-94 twice. The victor is ecstatic and emotional in his moment of triumph. He wanted this fight for a long time and when it came around he got the job done. Now opportunity knocks for the 32-year-old in a wide-open 140 lbs division. Some lovely warm words for Ramirez from Barboza, who has put his awful previous outing against Sean McComb behind him tonight . Main event next.

12:54 a.m. AST/ 4:54 p.m. ET: We got the distance and they both threw up to the bell. Barring anything daft on the cards, Barboza has got this. There were shades of Ramirez's old brilliance but he struggled to get going and get his best work off for any sustained period. Perhaps the 10-stone limiting is just too sapping for him nowadays. Barboza controlled the action and it looked very much like a former champion being left behind by a potential future champion.

12:31 a.m. AST/ 4:31 p.m. ET: Okay, so it hasn't really caught fire at all. That one's on me. Oh, hang on, booming right hand right on the money from Ramirez in five. He needed to pick up the pace and there we are. Ships a couple of rights in return from Barboza though, who is probably just ahead at this point.

12:15 a.m. AST/ 4:15 p.m. ET: It's been a quality card so far and don't take your eyes off this one. Former unified champion Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr. are into the first of 10 scheduled rounds in the super lightweight division. Former stablemate who don't particularly get along. Expect this one to catch fire and stay lit when it does.

William Zepeda beats Tevin Farmer by a RAZOR THIN split decision

11:54 p.m. AST/ 3:54 p.m. ET: Zepeda gets it 95-94 on two cards, with Farmer by the same margin on the other scorecard. You can't get any closer than that and the Mexican's Golden Boy handlers breath a huge sigh of relief. Farmer is crestfallen, leaning on the top rope before being consoled by his partner. The Philadelphia fighter produced a performance few thought he had left in the tank and he can be so proud of what he produced once the disappointment subsides. On that evidence, Shakur Stevenson would box merry rings around Zepeda but even on a bad night his relentlessness got the job done... just.

11:46 p.m. AST/ 3:46 p.m. ET: Into the final session. Farmer looked to go with Zepeda blow-for-blow in an absorbing ninth. It seems he had a few rounds off and wants to come on strong here. Will that be enough? It's might be as two left hands rock Zepeda. The Mexican comes back the only way he knows, piling forward, throwing a relentless barrage of shots. But that could very well be Farmer's round, you know. It could be close on the cards. Has Zepeda busily slugged his way to enough rounds to compensate for the knockdown and getting pinged with frequent big left hands? I think he probably has, but that's not the statement performance to entice Shakur Stevenson.

11:32 p.m. AST/ 3:32 p.m. ET: The tide might have turned here. Zepeda's superior output and in particular the short shots he is digging into the body are starting to have an effect on Farmer, who has slowed a touch.  Good sixth and seventh for Zepeda but at the end of the latter he was wide open to a couple of head shots.

11:24 p.m. AST/ 3:24 p.m. ET: Farmer hurts Zepeda with the left again in round five. And again! He can't miss with that left down the pipe. Zepeda comes back, ploughing forward fearlessly but he's taking too many sharp shots. 

11:20 p.m. AST/ 3:20 p.m. ET: Farmer is here to win and is standing and trading with Zepeda. You wonder if he has the power to make that a viable strategy...WOW, DOWN GOES ZEPEDA! Short, sharp left hand counter, beautiful work from the veteran and Zepeda has to pick himself up off the mat.

11:14 p.m. AST/ 3:14 p.m. ET: Farmer enjoyed a good first round and steadied Zepeda with a clubbing left hook in round two. The younger man responded with volume and intensity. This is hearing up nicely.

11:07 p.m. AST/ 3:07 p.m. ET: William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer are each in the ring. This is a fascinating crossroads clash, Zepeda is the coming man at lightweight and if he can get past wily former world champion Farmer a mega fight against Shakur Stevenson will loom into view.

OSCAR COLLAZO KNOCKS OUT THAMMONOON NIYOMTRONG TO ADD WBA AND RING BELTS TO HIS WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT TITLE!!!

10:40 p.m. AST/ 2:40 p.m. ET: Collazo clinically stalking his prey. There's the right hook again and down goes Niyomtrong again! He's up, but the end is surely close. Surgical stuff from Collazo, he's not rushing. This is a statement performance. Another knockdown and it's waved off! The longest active world-title reign in boxing is over and Oscar Collazo is a unified champion.

10:35 p.m. AST/ 2:35 p.m. ET: Niyomtrong down in round six! Collazo was already in the ascendency and he lands a peach of a right hook to the jaw as Niyomtrong was throwing. The 34-year-old landed on the seat of his trunks. He rose gamely but how much does he have left? Collazo has seven KOs in 10 victories. A storm is on the way.

10:11 p.m. AST/ 2:11 p.m. ET: Two good fights so far and this one should be a cracker. WBO champion Oscar Collazo and WBA king Thammanoon Niyomtrong put their minimumweight belts and undefeated records on the line. The vacant Ring Magazine title at 105 lbs is also up for grabs.

10:03 p.m. AST/ 2:03 p.m. ET: Vergil Ortiz is being interviewed by DAZN alongside his promoter Oscar De La Hoya. He says the undefeated star's next fight will be against one of Sebastian Fundora, Terence Crawford or Jaron Ennis. That'll do! 

9:53 p.m. AST/ 1:53 p.m. ET: Duarte now has back-to-back wins following his eight-round stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia last December. After the fight the called out Garcia's bitter rival Devin Haney. Sure, that would be very watchable but Akhmedov surely deserves the chance to run that back. Assuming he's not simply done with this sport altogether. He landed more punches, at a greater rate of accuracy and also produced the cleaner work. That was enough for two rounds from one judge and three from another. Nonsense.

Oscar Duarte beats Batyr Akhmedov by unanimous decision

9:50 p.m. AST/ 1:50 p.m. ET: 98-92, 97-93, 96-94 all in favour of Duarte. Well, well. The Mexican finished strong but it's hard to shake the impression that Akhmedov has been absolutely stiffed on the cards once again. A four career defeat for a man who could very reasonably say he should be undefeated. 96-94 for Duarte, I'll allow it. Those other two scores are a shambles.

9:47 p.m. AST/ 1:47 p.m. ET: We're going to the cards in a close fight that I think Akhmedov has done enough to win. He has, of course, been here before. Duarte laid it on with some heavy shots down the stretch but Akhmedov should realistically have this by a couple of points.

9:23 p.m. AST/ 1:23 p.m. ET: Four rounds down and there's very little to chose between these two men, who must feel like they're fighting a mirror image of themselves as they trade a pick shots in centre ring. If anything is shading it, it's Akhmedov's slightly higher work rate, as evidenced by some reddening around the eyes of Duarte.

9:05 p.m. AST/ 1:05 p.m. ET: Our next bout is in the ring and ready to go. The heavy-handed Oscar Duarte taking on two-time world title challenger Batyr Akhmedov in a super lightweight bout scheduled for 10. The Uzbek fighter could very easily have won each of those bouts against Mario Barrios and Alberto Puello. Duarte tends to avoid the cards being brought into the equation, with 22 of his 27 career wins coming inside the distance.

8:55 p.m. AST/ 12:55 p.m. ET: We've just had a mini barnburner in our first fight of the night. Local favourite Ziyad Almaayouf boxed to a six-round majority draw against Juan Garcia. One judge scored the bout 58-56 in the Saudi boxers favour, with the other two scoring it even at 57-57. It amounts to the first blemish on Almaayouf's pro record of 6-0-1, while 21-year-old Mexican slugger Garcia is now 5-6-1.

8:30 p.m. AST/ 12:30 p.m. ET: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith. Think of this as a sorbet to cleanse the palate from last night's regrettable and predictable farce in Texas. Two high-class world champions are putting their belts on the line in the cruiserweight division. Zurdo vs. Billam-Smith tops the bill on Riyadh Season's 'Latino Night' card.

Zurdo Ramirez Chris Billam-Smith

What time is Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith today? 

  • Event start time: 8 p.m local | 12 p.m. ET | 9 a.m. PT
  • Main event start time: approx. 1:30 a.m local | 5:30 p.m. ET | 2:30 p.m. PT

The card starts at 8 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET). Ramirez and Billam-Smith should make their way to the ring around 1:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. ET), depending on how long the undercard fights last.

Where to watch Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith will air live on DAZN globally.

A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month. An annual subscription costs $224.99 in the U.S

If you're a boxing fan in the UK you can get DAZN for £9.99 in the U.K. on a 12-month contract, or £19.99 month-to-month. You can also just pay for the whole year at the low price of £99.99.

DAZN

Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith fight card

  • Gilberto Ramirez (c) def. Chris Billam-Smith (c) (UD 12) to retain WBA title and win WBO cruiserweight title
  • Arnold Barboza Jr. def. Jose Ramirez (UD 10); Super Lightweights
  • William Zepeda def. Tevin Farmer (SD 10); Lightweights
  • Oscar Collazo (c) def Thammanoon Niyomtrong (c) (KO 7) to retain WBA title and win WBO and vacant Ring Magazine minimumweight titles
  • Oscar Duarte def. Botirzhon Akhmedov (UD 10); Super Lightweights
  • Ziyad Almaayouf drew with Juan Garcia (MD 6); Welterweights

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Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.