Chris Billam-Smith has responded to criticism from Ryan Rozicki after the Canadian suggested he was already looking past their upcoming fight toward a future showdown with Jai Opetaia.
Billam-Smith and Rozicki are set to headline Zuffa Boxing 07 on June 6 at the Bournemouth International Centre. The cruiserweight clash marks the first Zuffa Boxing event held outside Las Vegas and carries major implications for the division.
Ahead of the fight, Billam-Smith spoke openly about potential future fights, including a possible matchup against Opetaia. Rozicki quickly reacted to those comments and suggested his opponent may already be overlooking the challenge in front of him.
Ryan Rozicki warns Billam-Smith about looking ahead
Speaking to Sky Sports, Rozicki admitted he does not necessarily view the comments as disrespectful but believes they could become a mistake.
“I think it’s a mistake,” Rozicki said.
The Canadian explained that the way Billam-Smith talks about future fights gives the impression that his attention is already elsewhere.
“The way he’s responding shows me that they’ve already got their eyes set on Jai,” he said. “They already got their eyes set on these bigger fights than me.”
Rozicki then issued a warning, emphasizing the danger of losing focus against an aggressive puncher like himself.
“I don’t think you should ever look past somebody like me,” he added.
The hard-hitting cruiserweight made it clear that even a brief lapse in concentration could prove costly.
“If he switches off for even a fraction of a second, then he’ll be switched off.”
Billam-Smith denies overlooking opponent
Billam-Smith has now responded directly to those concerns and rejected the idea that discussing future fights means he is underestimating Rozicki.
“People believe that talking about future opposition is looking past an opponent,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
The former world champion explained that he actually sees long-term planning as an important psychological tool during training camp.
“There’s something in psychology where you also need to plan ahead,” he said.
According to Billam-Smith, failing to think beyond one fight can negatively impact motivation and mindset.
“Otherwise that’s the end of the road and that’s when your brain can shut off,” he explained. “The next fight can then become your last fight because it feels like the last fight.”
Billam-Smith explains training mentality
Billam-Smith also described his career approach as a continuous process of improvement rather than focusing on one opponent at a time.
“Training for this fight helps me train for the next fight,” he said.
He added that he views boxing as a constant cycle of preparation and development.
“It’s a constant conveyor belt of training and building myself into the person that can win the next fight, the next fight and the next fight.”
‘The Gentleman’ lost his WBO cruiserweight title to Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez back in 2024. Following that, he secured a unanimous decision victory over Brandon Glanton last year.
Meanwhile, Rozicki fought recently in March. He took on Gerardo Mellado and secured a quick second-round knockout victory. He extended his record to 21 wins, of which 20 came via knockouts.
Now, the exchange has added extra tension ahead of what is already promised to be an explosive cruiserweight fight.
