Chris Billam-Smith has reiterated his want to face Jai Opetaia ‘as quickly as he can’ after his gruelling stoppage hometown victory over Ryan Rozicki in Bournemouth.
Billam-Smith claimed a bruising victory over the hard-hitting Canadian after an epic contest on the Bournemouth Worldwide Centre, the place each fighters traded big blows in a fight-of-the-year contender.
The previous WBO cruiserweight champion secured the win by way of technical knockout when Rozicki was pulled out by his nook on the finish of the seventh spherical, with Billam-Smith already turning his focus again to a future showdown with Opetaia.
Ryan Rozicki was pulled out of the struggle after the seventh spherical following an prompt basic with Chris Billam-Smith
Dealing with the unbeaten Australian cruiserweight has been earmarked a chance since Billam-Smith first signed with Zuffa Boxing earlier this yr, with the 35-year-old eager to make the competition occur.
“Yeah for positive, I need him [Opateia] subsequent,” Billam-Smith instructed Sky Sports activities. “I do know there’s been discuss of him probably having different fights as nicely however I need him subsequent.
Chris Billam-Smith came upon simply how robust Ryan Rozicki was after the Canadian took 9 clear photographs from The Gentleman
“If, for no matter purpose, that may’t occur it must be the one after – that is the struggle we have needed for a very long time.
“He has clearly come off this win in opposition to [Brandon] Glanton however I am seeking to get within the ring with him as quickly as I can.”
WBC world cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian and three-division world champion David Benavidez are each attainable subsequent targets for Opateia, whereas Billam-Smith desires the ‘largest struggle’ accessible to him.
“As WBC champion that’d be nice to struggle Noel Mikaelian – that positively is a struggle we spoke about earlier than, making an attempt to get,” Billam-Smith added.
“He is been calling me out earlier than so it might be nice to get that struggle on.
“If I am unable to the Jai Opetaia struggle then it is the subsequent largest struggle, it is the one I need.”
Chris Billam-Smith displays on the unimaginable sequence of punches that Ryan Rozicki someway withstood throughout their unimaginable struggle on Saturday
Billam-Smith and Rozicki each went to hospital as a precaution after their epic encounter, with ‘The Gentleman’ happy together with his efficiency and filled with reward for his opponent.
“We anticipated a fireplace struggle and it was nearly staying calm within the chaos,” Billam-Smith defined. “I believe I did that fairly nicely and handled that fairly nicely.
“It was all the time going to be that approach and the plan was to clearly get some work finished as early as I may, however keep protected after which he’ll begin tiring.
The Sky Sports activities Boxing commentary staff watches on in disbelief as Ryan Rozicki takes some big photographs from opponent Chris Billam-Smith of their Zuffa Boxing 07 most important occasion
“If I simply preserve throwing, ultimately the ref’s going to leap in, however then he simply threw two photographs again and the ref simply moved away once more. He is one robust man.
“He is the hardest man I believe I will ever face, I do not assume I may hit any many individuals on this planet that onerous and so they’d nonetheless be on their toes, so all respect to him.”
Zuffa Boxing reveals are scheduled in Las Vegas on June 28 and New York on July 26 forward of their first Irish present in Dublin on August 8, with all three dwell and unique within the UK and Eire on Sky Sports activities. Get Sky Sports activities or stream boxing with no contract.
