Chris Billam-Smith Is Open To The Idea Of Facing Oleksandr Usyk

Chris Billam-Smith, the current WBO cruiserweight champion, has not ruled out a bout with Oleksandr Usyk. 

Billam-Smith secured the biggest win of his career when he beat Lawrence Okolie to secure his first world title via a majority decision.

While there is always a chance that a rematch could take place, Billam-Smith has also kept an eye on Usyk.

The latter is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, who has now moved up to heavyweight and unified the division. 

As of now, Usyk is set to face Daniel Dubois on August 26th, 2023 as a WBA mandatory defense. Thereafter, Billam-Smith is open to facing the winner. 

“We’ll see [regarding my next move at cruiserweight] or I’ll just move up and fight the Usyk vs Dubois winner as the mandatory for the WBO. The options are there, thankfully. 

“For me it’s very much about securing my son’s future financially. I mean Usyk’s a phenomenal fighter but he’s not a massive heavyweight.

“But if it was Tyson Fury, it’d be different. I’m also a fighter, I believe I’ll beat anyone and give anyone problems in any weight,” Billam-Smith

Nevertheless, the chances of that fight occurring are slim. This is on the grounds that Usyk will likely target an undisputed fight with Tyson Fury which will decide who is the best heavyweight of this era.

Meanwhile, facing Billam-Smith would not be a big statement in the division as the fighter is not a heavyweight. 

Outside of that, there is also a possibility that Billam-Smith considers a unification bout in the cruiserweight division.

Richard Riakporhe is set to face the IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. And if Riakporhe manages to come out victorious, Billam-Smith would have no qualms over facing the only man who has beaten him as a professional boxer.

“It would be appealing, but I think there’s talk of him potentially fighting for a world title, so ideally, we unify against each other. I think the last all-British cruiserweight unification would have been Haye-Maccarinelli.

“I remember watching that fight when I’d probably been boxing a year, so to be involved in one like that would be monumental. It would be a great satisfaction to me to do that, and then win that fight and unify,” Billam-Smith