Gilberto Ramirez v Chris Billam-Smith: Mexican unifies titles with points win

WBO champion Billam-Smith was the first to make his way to the ring at the Venue arena, a stern look on his face as he completed a lap of the canvas with his arm raised.

It was far from the raucous crowd Billam-Smith is used to back home, but at ringside there was some familiar faces with Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe – also a legendary former player and manager of Billam-Smith’s beloved AFC Bournemouth – and some of his players in attendance.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund owns a majority stake in Newcastle, as the country continues to invest millions into sport.

The kingdom has been accused of using sport and famous sportspeople as vehicles for ‘sportwashing’ as Saudi Arabia continues to be criticised for its human rights record.

Just before the first bell, chants for both fighters could be heard and as it got under way, it was first Billam-Smith who landed clean.

He connected with some decent shots that snapped back the head of Ramirez.

However, Ramirez got to work in the rounds that followed, landing some powerful shots and in the fourth round, connecting with a huge right hook that ended up cutting Billam-Smith over his left eye.

In the fifth, the Mexican stunned the Briton with a huge left hand just before the bell rang.

The referee paused the action at the start of the seventh round, such was the damage done to Billam-Smith’s left eye. The ringside doctor inspected the cut, and confirmed the fight could continue.

“It was a few rounds there where I couldn’t see out of that eye,” Billam-Smith admitted.

Ramirez continued on his destructive path in the final rounds, landing the more significant and eye-catching shots.

The Mexican appeared to tire towards the end of the bout, Billam-Smith having moments of joy but it was all too little too late, with the Briton’s coach Shane McGuigan vocally frustrated at how the fight was playing out.

Billam-Smith emptied his gas tank in the final minute, but it was not to be as Ramirez became the first Mexican to unify world titles at cruiserweight.

Ramirez has now set himself up to further unify the cruiserweight division, with both IBF champion Jai Opetaia and WBC champion Noel Mikaelian sharing their desires to fight the winner of this contest.