CHRIS Billam-Smith said Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez is the ‘most complete fighter’ he has faced, as he prepares for his cruiserweight unification bout on Saturday.
‘The Gentleman’, speaking to DAZN in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the fight said he believes that the best version of himself is the world’s best cruiserweight – and if he is at his best he will win the fight.
On Zurdo, Billam-Smith said: “He’s the most complete fighter I’ve boxed.
“All those names you’ve mentioned [Lawrence Okolie, Richard Riakporhe] have been good wins but he’s got a lot more to his game than a lot of those guys and there’s not really any glaring weaknesses.
“But I’ve got to go in there and be the best version of me and the best version of me is the best cruiserweight on the planet.
“So as long as I do my work, then I believe I will get the job done.”
Billam-Smith comes into the fight as the underdog – as he has done in title fights previously that he has gone on to win.
Asked about how he ranks the cruiserweight title holders at the moment and asked if he has the feeling that Jai Opetaia is the top of the tree, Billam-Smith said: “I get that, but even when I beat Opetaia there’ll be someone trying to say that he’s been robbed.
“I’m not the favourite in this fight, I wasn’t against Lawrence and I wasn’t against Riakporhe.
“I guess that’s why I’ve got to beat him and I’ve got to beat Jai.
“Once I beat Opetaia I think then I’ll be finally called, and rightly so, number one in the division.”
Ramirez has come up to the cruiserweight division, having previously been super middleweight champion.
Asked if him being the natural cruiserweight was a key advantage in the fight, Billam-Smith said: “I think that’s one of the advantages.
“Naturally the way I fight and the strengths I have is that intensity, the strengths on the inside, I think that’s against anyone, I think that’s an advantage against anyone in the division but someone coming up, for sure.”
Billam-Smith said he is feeling good and is enjoying his journey, adding that he is in a great place.
“I feel like I’ve never got ahead of myself, I’ve never thought I’ve deserved more when I haven’t and I knew my time would come, and it’s coming now,” he said.
“We’re nearly there at the very top of the division in terms of worldwide, recognised as the number one, and I’ve got to go out there and do a really good job on Saturday for people to start believing even more.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here