Chris Billam-Smith: How boxer feels ‘pressure’ to return to Bournemouth after ‘luxurious’ fight week Boxing news

Family time during fight week is a privilege boxers rarely get to experience but it’s a “luxury” Chris Billum-Smith is not taking for granted ahead of his Bournemouth homecoming. Sky Sports.

Billum-Smith returns to the ring after a 14-month absence to headline Zuffa Boxing 07 – their first event outside the US, where the 35-year-old faces Canada’s hard-hitting Ryan Rosicky in a 10-round cruiserweight clash.

The former WBO cruiserweight champion is part of the main event at the Bournemouth International Centre, his first hometown fight since 2023, a venue that allows him to enjoy a different experience than he has built up before recent fights.

A pre-fight trim at a local barber and bonus sleep at home with his two young children are among the benefits for Williams-Smith, who is wary of the “pressure” of delivering in front of a passionate Bournemouth crowd on Saturday night.

“I didn’t headline last time and I’ve headlined a lot of shows before, so it’s nice to be back to headline again,” said Billam-Smith. Sky Sports. “It’s always a privilege and always an honor to fight at home.

“All that pressure is something that turns you on and brings out the best in me, so I’m excited for it and it’s a real big positive. It’s (the pressure) because I’ve had a good time out of the ring, I’m out there with a dangerous fighter and I’m back home.”

He later added: “I’m definitely feeling a lot more pressure in this fight than the last fight. I wasn’t really invested in it. I don’t know what it was. I was doing everything I needed to do in training with the camp and stuff, but I didn’t feel upset about the fight at all.

“This time it’s different — I feel a lot more fired up and very focused and excited.”

How family kept Billam-Smith grounded for Rosicky

Billam-Smith stayed at a neighboring hotel in the days leading up to the fight, though still set aside time with wife Mia and his two young sons – Frank and Bear – to get away from the upcoming Rosicky test.

“It was great to go home and see the boys last night,” Billam-Smith revealed of Tuesday’s visit. “Bear, the youngest, was just going to bed, so I quickly wanted to kiss him goodnight.

“Then me and Frank sat up and I saw him doing his Legos, so it was cool. He was like, ‘That’s really fun, Daddy’. I was like: ‘What, putting me here with you Legos?’ And she was like, ‘Yes’. That is just amazing. Very lucky to have that moment last night and more after the fight.

“It’s nice to switch off. My wife doesn’t expect anything from me – she knows it’s fight week, so it’s nice to be able to do the bits I want to do.

“My four-year-old is very active and hyper and great fun, but you’re not always able to deal with that during fight week. It’s a real luxury to have that and have a supportive wife to deal with it all when I can’t.”

‘I’m ready to go again’ – will Billam-Smith deliver on domestic soil?

Billam-Smith sees off Mateusz Masternak in December 2023 at this week’s venue, his third career fight at the Bournemouth International Centre, then defends his WBO cruiserweight title against Richard Riakpor at Selhurst Park next summer.

He has only had one fight since losing to Gilberto Ramirez by unanimous decision in November 2024, defeating Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last April, but sees no scenario in which he does not defeat Rosicky.

“The Mateusz (Masternak) fight (at Bournemouth) wasn’t my best performance for the first five rounds, but then in the sixth and seventh rounds I came into it,” explained Billam-Smith.

“In terms of the Bournemouth fight I’ll pick up where I left off. Since then I’ve boxed at Selhurst Park, boxed in Saudi and lost, so learned a lot from there.

“After that I had my comeback fight, which I needed to have. I went through a bad period mentally in my career, wasn’t really that upset about that fight or switching on or anything like that. Since then I’ve had a good break and I’m ready to go again.”

On whether Rosicky could cause the first stoppage of Billam-Smith’s career as a professional, the Englishman said: “Maybe he’s telling himself but he’s right, because I would have won enough rounds to win the points fight. I don’t read too much into it.

“He’s always come for the knockout – he’s gone on points once in all his wins, so that’s the way he fights. It’s no different than before. I understand he’s got a new trainer, so there might be a different look about him, but it’s up to me to adapt.

“I imagined every possible version of the fight and I won every one of them, so that’s all that matters.”

Watch Zuffa Boxing 07 live this Saturday on Sky Sports, with eEarly coverage is streamed from 5pm, before Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Main Event and live action on Sky One from 7pm.. Get Sky Sports or Boxing stream with no contract.