SINCE losing his WBO strap to unified cruiserweight titlist Gilberto Ramirez, Chris Billam-Smith has insisted that he will become a two-time world champion within the next two years.
Already, the 34-year-old has begun to document his comeback on social media, aiming to run each and every day of January before entering his next training camp.
CBS – with his initials also standing for ‘Consistency Builds Success’ – is perhaps best known for his remarkable determination and consummate professionalism. But now, the widely supported Brit faces arguably the most formidable challenge of his career.
After dethroning his former stablemate, Lawrence Okolie, with a stunning performance in front of his home fans at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England, Billam-Smith made two defences of his title before colliding with WBA champion Ramirez.
When the pair squared off in November, though, ‘The Gentleman’ was ultimately forced to endure a punishing 12-round onslaught.
And yet, since then, a clear path has been set for Billam-Smith to reach the upper echelons of his division once again.
Despite losing to Ramirez, he has been presented with a lofty fourth-place ranking by the WBC, whose reigning champion is three-division titlist Badou Jack.
‘The Ripper’ became the sanctioning body’s ‘champion in recess’ shortly after dethroning Ilunga Junior Makabu, with Noel Mikaelyan holding the full title during his hiatus.
But now, it would appear that Jack has been reinstated ahead of his return in 2025, with mandatory challenger Ryan Rozicki waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
Billam-Smith, meanwhile, has put himself in a strong position to earn his second world title shot, remaining at the top of the tree among his domestic rivals.
Elsewhere in the division, IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will take on unbeaten New Zealander David Nyika this Wednesday, and while a clash with the Australian may not be on his radar just yet, a potential win over Jack would put Billam-Smith back into the conversation for a unification.
And so, with plenty of intriguing matchups to be made at 200 lbs, the former world champion could return to the world scene even sooner than anticipated.
