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Chris Billam-Smith has hit back at Ryan Rosicky’s “irrelevant” claim that the Canadian could prevent a hometown win in Saturday’s cruiserweight fight in Bournemouth. Live on Sky Sports.
Billam-Smith returns to action for the first time since April 2025 when he faces Rosicky at the Bournemouth International Center (BIC), where the former world champion previously holds the WBO cruiserweight title.
The two clashed on Bournemouth seafront on Tuesday before Zuffa Boxing headlined its first UK show, with big-hitter Rosicky reiterating his belief that he can bring about the first stoppage of Billam-Smith’s career.
All about completing Saturday’s 10-round showdown in three rounds or less, Rosicky told Sky Sports: “Hopefully short. I’m very confident.
“We’ll try not to do too much damage when we go to the knockouts. If that happens (go to points), I lose.
“I’m not getting a points decision here. We all know that, so it’s knockout or knock out.”
Billam-Smith himself refuted Rosicky’s claim, saying: Sky Sports: “I’ve heard people say it before (they’ll be inside three rounds) — it’s irrelevant on fight night.
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Billam-Smith promises ‘fireworks’ in his home clash against Rosicky
“I have trained for every possible outcome for me. I am ready for 10 rounds. We will see what happens, if he goes past the third round.”
Billam-Smith added: “I’ve had a lot of people in the past who think the same way and believe the same thing entirely – especially those who have come here to BIC.
“They thought they were going to come in here and do a lot of my stuff, so I can do what I do here and win.”
‘Rozicki is hurt in the past!’
Billam-Smith held the WBO cruiserweight title between May 2023 and November 2024, when he lost to Gilberto Ramirez, with the 35-year-old keen to deliver a statement performance on Saturday as he looks to return to challenging for world titles.
“Every fight I go into, I want to do the best job for somebody and do it better than anybody else,” asserts Williams-Smith. “He (Rozycki) has had injuries in the past.
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Billam-Smith and Rosicky sat down with each other ahead of their fight at Zuffa Boxing 7
“The bell rang against Oscar Rivas at the end of the first and it probably saved him from a knockdown and maybe a stoppage with 30 seconds left, but it wasn’t there.
“He went through it and he roared, he does what he does.
Watch Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rosicky live this Saturday Sky Sports, with live coverage of Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Events from 7pm. Get Sky Sports or Boxing stream with no contract.
