Ramirez Beats Billam-Smith in Cruiserweight Unification
The cruiserweight unification fight previewed here took place in Riyadh on November 16, 2024. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defeated Chris Billam-Smith by unanimous decision, retaining his WBA title and adding Billam-Smith’s WBO belt to become a unified champion.
Ramirez wins the title unification
All three judges scored the 12-round bout for Ramirez: 116–112, 116–112 and 116–113. The ESPN report described Ramirez as controlling much of the contest and noted his high punch volume. Billam-Smith stayed upright through the final bell, but could not overcome the Mexican southpaw’s work rate.
One title changed hands
Ramirez retained his WBA title and won Billam-Smith’s WBO title; only the WBO belt changed hands. The result unified those belts and made Ramirez the first Mexican boxer to hold both major cruiserweight titles, according to Golden Boy Promotions’ event report. The pre-fight expectation of a Billam-Smith upset did not materialize.
Sources: ESPN: result and judges’ scores; Golden Boy Promotions: title result.
Ramirez had held the WBO super-middleweight title before moving up to cruiserweight. Billam-Smith entered as the WBO champion, while Ramirez brought the WBA belt. That made the Riyadh fight a direct unification contest, with each man risking a title he already held. The bout went the full 12 rounds, and every judge favored Ramirez, though the margins varied by three points. He became the first Mexican boxer to unify cruiserweight world titles.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
