After the circus, it was down to business. Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith, two unflinching warriors who would stand Jake Paul on his head inside a round, exchanged bloodied leather for 12 in the name of unified cruiserweight glory in Riyadh on Saturday.
As the dust settled in the desert, Ramirez was the deserved victory via unanimous decision via margins of 116-112 (twice) and 116-113, adding Billam-Smith's WBO crown to the WBA title he brought with him to the ring. The Sporting News scored the bout 117-112 for Ramirez.
The 33-year-old is ticking off the 200-pound division's major baubles with notable efficiency, having taken the WBA from France's previously undefeated Arsen Goulamirian in March.
Right now, the most obvious road leads towards Australia's brilliant IBF champion Jai Opetaia. That bout has potential crossover appeal, a clash of sporting excellence to capture the imagination solely on those terms.
"Yeah, of course I want to unify with all the champions," Ramirez told DAZN afterwards. "That's the main goal for me and I think with all the champions too."
WATCH: Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith, live on DAZN
Ramirez became Mexico's first-ever cruiserweight champion when he beat Goulamirian and also has world honours to his name at super middleweight. But in the latter division and most notably when he sought to dethrone Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight two years ago, Zurdo sometimes looked like a man handicapping himself by fighting at weight classes his hulking frame would rather avoid.
Cruiserweight has always seemed a more natural home, although Saturday brought a new experience. Billam-Smith was unquestionably the bigger, stronger man in the ring and when he rocked Zurdo with some steadying head shots during the opening round it briefly looked as if that might be the decisive factor in the fight.
Two enthralling, action-packed sessions followed in two and three. Every time Billam-Smith caught Ramirez flush it seemed to have an effect. But the Englishman's eagerness came with defensive sloppiness and a willingness to stand at mid-range.
This let Zurdo establish a rhythm from which he never relented, replying in threes and fours and having the final word in the exchanges. He crunched Billam-Smith's granite jaw repeatedly with a left hook that could not miss.
Zurdo Ramirez is UNLOADING punches 👊#RiyadhSeason | #LatinoNight | LIVE and FREE on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/CgvvLww9ij
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) November 16, 2024
Ramirez's time in the lower categories now looked like the key element in his favour. The Mexican moved like a middleweight and dug to the body like one too. Where Billam-Smith became leaden-footed and upright, Zurdo was spinning around his target and pivoting smartly to open up new and painful angles of attack.
By the halfway point, Billam-Smith's left eye was a cut and swollen mess. Referee Harvey Dock indicated a head clash had caused the damage initially, but Ramirez's rapier attacks severely compounded matters.
The 34-year-old Billam-Smith was never supposed to ascend to this rarified level of the sport and, as victories over much-vaunted domestic rivals Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe have shown, he revels in the role of the underdog on the big stage. Ramirez was another step up, but CBS was not about to let his hard-earned status slip by without giving every last drop of blood and sweat.
Ramirez responded in kind, well ahead on the cards but happy to indulge his foe in punching one another to a standstill as the final bell loomed. Both men were gracious in the aftermath as boxing dragged itself back to normality at 'Latino Night' in Saudi Arabia. It's been a strange weekend.
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
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith start time
- Date: Saturday, November 16
- 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
- Location: The Venue Riyadh Season — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Where to watch Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith
- Live Stream: DAZN
Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith will air live on DAZN globally.
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