British cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith has officially withdrawn from his planned WBO Interim title bout against Germany’s Roman Fress.
Billam-Smith captured the WBO world title in 2023 with an upset win over Lawrence Okolie and made two successful defenses before losing a unification clash to Gilberto Ramirez by unanimous decision. The Bournemouth favorite rebounded earlier this year with a strong win over Brandon Glanton, positioning himself for another title run.
The WBO ordered Billam-Smith to face Fress for the interim belt after the position became vacant. However, doubts over the fight’s staging emerged when Billam-Smith’s promoters, Boxxer, chose not to place a bid, even after the WBO lowered the minimum threshold. Germany’s SES Promotions ultimately won the purse bid with an offer of $156,921, securing the right to host the bout.
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On Tuesday, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that Billam-Smith’s team failed to confirm their participation within the extended 48-hour deadline. “Team Billam-Smith, through Boxxer, did not confirm participation under the purse bid won by SES Promotions after a 48-hour extension expired today,” the statement read. “The WBO will proceed to select the next available contender and rule accordingly.”
The likely replacement for Billam-Smith is Umar Salamov (32-2, 24 KOs), ranked #3 by the WBO, though his recent activity may prevent a quick turnaround. If unavailable, an all-German showdown between Fress and unbeaten Tahir Kahrovic (23-0, 15 KOs) could be next.
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