On Saturday night, Chris Billam-Smith rolls the dice once again against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a unification showdown in the cruiserweight division. Ramirez’s trainer Malik Scott had labelled this fight a total “mismatch”, however Billam-Smith’s trainer Shane McGuigan has since fired back at these claims.
Billam-Smith will enter the ring as the bookie’s underdog (31/14) on Saturday night, something he has done many times before.
The Bournemouth man won his WBO title in his beloved Vitality Stadium, defeating former stablemate Lawrence Okolie in a scrappy, at times hard to watch contest back in May last year.
He has since defeated Mateusz Masternak and Richard Riakporhe – the latter significantly resulting in him avenging the only professional defeat of his career to date.
His opponent, after sharing the ring with the likes of Dmitry Bivol, will enter the ring as the favourite.
Having moved up weight following the defeat to Bivol, Ramirez has won two fights in the cruiserweight division, picking up his WBA belt against Arsen Goulamirian in his latest outing.
‘Zurdo’ has made it clear his aspiration is to win this fight, defeat Jai Opetaia to become undisputed champion, and then take a shot at eternal glory against Oleksandr Usyk.
Coming into this fight, Ramirez’s trainer has backed his fighter’s claims and has added that he does not think this Billam-Smith is at the same level, even labelling the Brit as a “one trick pony”.
However, speaking to Boxing News, Shane McGuigan, Chris Billam-Smith’s trainer, has shut these calls down.
”I don’t know how he’s still got a job after the business he’s done with Deontay Wilder.”
”He’s just a guy who talks a lot of s**t.”
”He hasn’t trained anybody to win any fight of merit.”
”I’m not being arrogant, I’ve been in this sport for 14 years.”
”If someone is going to call me out like Malik Scott, just go back and look at the track record.”
McGuigan has said that there should be little substance in what Scott has to say, therefore dismissing any talks of this fight being too challenging for his fighter.
After Billam-Smith’s fight on Saturday, Shane McGuigan will be looking forward to watching his dad appear on the new series of ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
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