Chris Billam-Smith can call himself a bonafide world cruiserweight champion after nullifying and beating up a hapless Lawrence Okolie in Bournemouth.
Billam-Smith took a majority decision victory that should have been unanimous after Okolie was dropped three times and deducted two points for persistent holding.
In the end, the right man won, as judges carded 112-112, 116-107, and 115-108 in his favor. Okolie dropped the WBO Cruiserweight World Champion to the home fighters in front of 15,000 fans at the Vitality Stadium, home of Bournemouth AFC, live on Sky Sports.
A sold-out crowd was totally behind Chris Billam-Smith. They provided an unparalleled atmosphere for all thirty-six minutes of the fight.
Chris Billam-Smith wins the WBO title
With three knockdowns, a new world champion, and an electric atmosphere, this night of breathtaking boxing action will never be forgotten.
Okolie looked confident from the first bell, despite the seriously hostile Bournemouth crowd, catching Billam-Smith with a solid right hand in the first round. It stunned Billam-Smith a little bit and forced him to be more cautious.
The fight continued on a similar path, with Okolie throwing big rights and holding when necessary. That’s until Billam-Smith threw a perfect looping counter-left hook. The shot knocked Okolie down in the fourth round. He then unloaded for the rest of the round, hunting for a stoppage but failing to find it.
Points off in the fifth and seventh, and another knockdown by Billam-Smith in the tenth, meant Okolie went into the final two rounds hunting for a stoppage.
Okolie gave everything in the last two rounds to find that stoppage, opening himself up to another knockdown in the eleventh. Billam-Smith held on for those last three minutes of the twelfth and final round to win.
Okolie defeated
An emotional Billam-Smith said to Sky Sports: “I don’t know what just happened. My whole life has come to this moment.
“It’s just perfect. It doesn’t get better than this in front of these fans. And against a great champion in Lawrence Okolie.”
Opening up hampered preparations and confirming his mother was ill, Billam-Smith added: “I was sick in bed all week. I didn’t eat from Tuesday to Thursday. But I had no energy.
“I put on a brave face at the workout on Wednesday and at the press conference on Thursday.
“I want to dedicate this to my mum, who’s got breast cancer. Mum, this is for you. I love you so much.”
Furthermore, the win for Billam-Smith sets up a potential unification with WBC ruler Badou Jack, IBF champion Jai Opetaia and WBA titleholder Arsen Goulamirian.
