Chris Billam-Smith v Isaac Chamberlain Winner to Face Jai Opetaia?
The one thing every fighter needs is motivation. Despite being self-motivated, adding a chance at the championship makes things more interesting. That could be the case when top cruiserweight contenders “Gentleman” Chris Billam-Smith (15-1, 11KO) and Isaac “I C” Chamberlain (14-1, 8KO) do battle.
On July 30, these two cruiserweights will stand on opposite sides of the ring, looking to push their careers forward with a victory. With news of a possible championship opportunity on the line, fans can expect both fighters to fight even harder.
A SHOT AT THE TITLE LOOMS FOR THE WINNER
During a face-to-face interview on Sky Sports boxing series Toe2Toe, Dean Lonergan, manager of newly crowned IBF champion Jai Opetaia, said he is looking to possibly make a fight with the winner.
“I’m not reaching out just to have a chat. You know, I’m reaching out to see if we can actually do some business.
I know a little bit about Chris Billam-Smith […] I hadn’t seen Isaac before, but I see that’s happening in July. When Jai is ready to go mate, I’d like to start talking now with Ben Shalom […] and have a serious conversation about us coming up there (United Kingdom) or you guys coming down to Australia, and trying your hand at what is the best cruiserweight in the world.”
MOTIVATION RECEIVED
Upon hearing the news, Smith and Chamberlain realize that their fight is more than just a typical domestic-level scrap. Smith believes that Opetaia does the basics very well and picked Opetaia to take the title away from Mairis Briedis back on July 2.
Chamberlain acknowledged being extra motivated and that Opetaia has good attributes while classifying Briedis as an aging fighter. I C is ranked number nine by the IBF and holds their International minor title. Smith will put his EBU European and Commonwealth titles on the line that he won in the rematch with Tommy McCarthy. Furthermore, he holds a solid number three spot on the IBF ranking system.
With a chance to fight for the title, this contest just got very interesting, and fans will be paying close attention to see the outcome.
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By: Garrisson Bland
