Chris Billam-Smith targets WBC World Cruiserweight Championship against Badou Jack | Boxing news
Chris Billam-Smith will target Badou Jack and the WBC cruiserweight title in a bid to regain world title.
In November, Gilberto Ramirez outpointed Britain’s Billam-Smith, winning a split decision to unify the WBO and WBA titles.
But the former champion bounced back from that heavy defeat and is storming the WBC belt, now held by Badou Jack after becoming champion again.
“I’m back training and I’m feeling good. I’m feeling really energized and motivated,” said Billam-Smith Sky Sports.
“I’d love a fight with Badou Jack. I think he’s related [Ryan] Rozicki [the mandatory challenger]. I would love that fight.”
Billam-Smith is ranked No. 4 in the WBC and will be in the frame for an eventual title fight of his own.
He believes he can come back as a better fighter. “He was excellent,” Billam-Smith said of Ramirez.
“He’s a very special fighter. It was a really good experience for me to share the ring with him, learn and build from it. All I can do is go and get better.”
Although he added: “It was a tough defeat because I was just beaten by a better man.”
Massey calls for a ‘CBS’ fight
Another British cruiserweight returning from a heavy defeat at world level is Jack Massey. Great IBF champion Jai Opetaia stopped Massey on the feet in October.
“Positive things I can get out of a fight. At least I can say I have a good beard!” Massey laughed.
“There’s no shame in losing to such an elite fighter. I’ll be back and I’ll be back at that level as well.
“He’s just hanging around everybody, isn’t he? He’s an elite fighter, he’s shown it.
“I’m looking forward to him fighting Ramirez. They talk about that next. I don’t think he’ll have a problem. I think he’ll probably get him out of there in less than eight rounds, personally. But a good fight while it lasts.”
The Mancunian would like a high-profile fight with Billam-Smith. “We want to get back into March, April. Get a win under our belt and then we can push for something big,” Massey said. Sky Sports.
“See what Chris Billam-Smith is saying. It would be a great fight.”
Massey actually beat Billam-Smith more than a decade ago, when they were amateur boxers, in the ABA National Finals.
“We’ve both come on big since then but, definitely, this is a big fight for me and it’s a fight I’m very, very confident I’m going to go in and beat Chris Billam-Smith,” Massey said.
“We both lost at that level and we both want to get to that level. It makes sense, whoever wins is fighting for the world title.
“Definitely makes sense and what a great fight it would be. We both have good chins. We both like to attack each other. It’s going to be a great fight.”
However, that’s not the fight Billam-Smith is looking at right now.
“It doesn’t really make sense to me. Jack’s best win is Isaac Chamberlain. He boxed for a world title [but] It feels like a big step back and I want to fight big fights, fights that I can really step up to,” said Billam-Smith.
“I would have given it my all anyway, but the feeling wouldn’t be the same. What am I going to get by beating Jack? And that’s how I have to look at it sometimes. I don’t think I’m going to get any credit for beating Jack Massey.
“I want to fight at world title level. That’s what I want to do.”
