ON SATURDAY night, Chris Billam-Smith will hope to unify the cruiserweight division as he fights Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

He will aim to defend his WBO title and take the WBA title off the Mexican, to accomplish a feat that no Brit has done since David Haye in 2008.

Ahead of the unification bout, the Daily Echo looks back at how he won the title – and how he has defended it.

Billam-Smith vs Lawrence Okolie

The Bournemouth boxer got the opportunity to fight at his beloved Dean Court in his first shot at a world title.

The then-Commonwealth and European champion was seen as the outsider going into the fight but handed Okolie his first defeat in his career to claim the world title for Bournemouth.

It was an historic night in Dorset as the stadium hosted boxing for the first time.

(Image: Stuart Martin) Okolie set the early tone by holding on to the home favourite, before Billam-Smith sent him to the floor in round four.

The Londoner was deducted his first point for holding in round five, before Okolie was docked another point in the seventh.

Billam-Smith somehow managed to not fall to the floor in the final rounds, with Okolie knocked to his knees for a third time just before the bell in round 11.

But history was made as two judges declared Billam-Smith the comprehensive winner (116-107 and 115-108), with the third calling it level (112-112).

Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak

Billam-Smith put his title on the line for the first time in December of last year.

Facing then-36-year-old Mateusz Masternak, he said he was his hardest fight to date, but he retained his title in a dramatic fight as Masternak retired hurt.

Fighting at the Bournemouth International Centre, the hometown fighter started on the front foot, but the experienced Pole connected with a series of shots in the second round.

(Image: Richard Crease) Billam-Smith appeared to be taking the majority of the shots, but he appeared to turn the corner with a strong seventh round.

This would prove to be the end of the night, as Masternak did not return from his corner for the start of the eighth and retiring hurt, sending the Bournemouth crowd wild.

Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe

For the first time with a world title on the line, Billam-Smith was fighting away from a home Bournemouth crowd.

The fight was staged at Selhurst Park, with Crystal Palace fan Riakporhe hoping to repeat the feat as the only person to beat Billam-Smith in a professional fight.

But the Bournemouth man enacted revenge on his opponent, emerging with a unanimous points win on the night.

Billam-Smith complained of holding early on in the fight, as he began to find some shots, but there was little to separate the two in the early skirmishes.

(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire) The fight came to life in the eighth, as Riakporhe landed a couple of big right-hands, but Billam-Smith responded and appeared to be turning the screw.

The ninth was the Londoner’s best, with a flurry of shots to the Gentleman’s head, but Riakporhe was docked a point for leading attacks with the head in the twelfth, sparking celebrations from Billam-Smith and trainer Shane McGuigan.

The scorecards confirmed the result: 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112.

Gilberto Ramirez is next to challenge Billam-Smith’s title and ‘Zurdo’ will be hoping to defend his WBA belt, too – the pair meet on Saturday night in Riyadh.