Having ascended to the WBO cruiserweight championship, Chris Billam-Smith contemplates his next move with options aplenty. With the potential to switch to the heavyweight category, he could position himself to challenge the victor of the upcoming Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois bout. However, his preference seems to lean towards a “monumental” rematch against Richard Riakporhe, his sole professional conqueror. Billam-Smith's pragmatic perspective on his future becomes apparent as he acknowledges the distinct challenge Usyk poses, though he remains confident in his ability to take on any competitor across weight classes.
Keeping his next move at cruiserweight open, Billam-Smith might also consider shifting to the heavyweight division to tackle the Usyk vs Dubois winner as the mandatory for the WBO. Billam-Smith harbors no trepidation over the prospect of squaring off against Usyk, believing that despite the Ukrainian’s impressive skill set, the size difference would be manageable, albeit a long-term move to heavyweight could be ambitious.
Despite the allure of heavyweight potentialities, Billam-Smith currently leans towards retaining his spot at the cruiserweight. As he said, “That’s just the way I think every fighter is when they have that belief, but never say never. But, for now, I think I'll be staying at cruiserweight.” Billam-Smith appears particularly eager for a Riakporhe rematch, envisaging a unification bout evocative of David Haye’s cruiserweight clash with Enzo Maccarinelli, a fight that could catapult their rivalry to unparalleled levels.
While Billam-Smith plans to return to the ring no earlier than October, he keeps an eye on a possible December clash with Riakporhe. Looking to rectify his previous loss to Riakporhe, Billam-Smith sees the rematch as an opportunity to settle the score while vying for another world title. “It’s a great story to it, he’s got a win over me last time, so I owe him one this time and for it to be for another world title would be amazing,” says the champion.
Image Credit: Sky Sports