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Chris Billam-Smith vs. Zurdo Ramirez Unification Bout Eyed For Nov. 16 Riyadh Season “Latinos Night” Show

Chris Billam-Smith vs. Zurdo Ramirez Unification Bout Eyed For Nov. 16 Riyadh Season “Latinos Night” Show
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Chris Billam-Smith vs. Zurdo Ramirez Unification Bout Eyed For Nov. 16 Riyadh Season “Latinos Night” Show

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A big unification bout is in play for Golden Boy’s first exclusive Riyadh Season show.

The Ring has confirmed that Chris Billam-Smith and Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez are in advanced talks for a WBO/WBA cruiserweight title fight. Should the two come to terms, the fight will headline the Nov. 16 “Latinos Night in Riyadh Season” show currently in the works.

England’s Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 knockouts) holds the WBO belt and is The Ring’s No. 1-rated cruiserweight. Mexico’s Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) is the WBA titlist and rated No. 3 by The Ring.

One hurdle cleared to help move along the matchup was the matter of Ramirez’s mandatory title defense. Former two-time titleholder Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) is the No. 1-ranked WBA contender and ordered to enter talks with Ramirez’s team. The two sides failed to reach a deal but were able to find common ground and avoid a purse bid hearing.

That common ground was Dorticos agreeing to step aside altogether. A report from El Nuevo Herald’s Jorge Ebro confirmed that Dorticos accepted a financial package to stand down from the fight.

The arrangement allowed Ramirez and his team to move forward with the division’s first unification bout since 2018.

There remains work ahead to finalize terms, which puts both fighters at risk should a deal fall through.

Ramirez lifted the WBA title from then-unbeaten Arsen Goulamirian (27-0, 18 KOs at the time). The win saw the Mexican southpaw become a two-division titlist on March 30 in Inglewood, California. He previously held the WBO super middleweight title from 2016-2019.

A move up to light heavyweight ended in Ramirez’s lone career defeat, a Nov. 2022 points loss to WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs).

Two wins have followed but none since his title lifting-effort over Goulamirian.

Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith claimed the WBO cruiserweight title in a rousing 12-round upset win over then-unbeaten Lawrence Okolie. The battle of former training stablemates saw ‘CBS’ floor Okolie three times to win the belt last May 27 in his hometown.

Two successful defenses have followed. Included among them was Billam-Smith’s points win over unbeaten Richard Riakporhe (17-0 at the time). Their June 15 Sky Sports/Peacock+ main event saw Billam-Smith avenge his lone career defeat, and on the road at Selhurst Park in London.

Billam-Smith was previously in talks with RING/IBF champion Jai Opetaia. Their bout would have landed on the Oct. 12 Riyadh Season event but the two sides were unable to come to terms. Sydney’s Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) will instead face England’s Jack ‘One Smack’ Massey (22-2, 12 KOs) on the show in Riyadh.

The planned show will mark the first true Riyadh Season event where Golden Boy will serve as the lead promoter. The Riyadh group headed by Saudi government advisor Turki Alalshikh sponsored Golden Boy’s Aug. 10 DAZN show in Las Vegas.

Alalshikh, chairman of the nation’s General Entertainment Authority, announced that the Nov. 16 show will be Riyadh Season’s first standalone non-Pay-Per-View event. The decision was made after a conversation with Hall of Famer and GBP chairman Oscar De La Hoya.

“We had a long talk,” noted Alalshikh. “[T]herefore i decided the card of Latinos Night in Riyadh Season with our partner Golden Boy will be free on TV networks and platforms all around the world. [Any] TV network or platform and cable TV interested in this event kindly connect with us in Riyadh Season and Sela [especially] in Mexico and South America. We care about boxing fans for that this card free.”

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