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In a wild brawl in his hometown Saturday night time Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith realized the dream of changing into a world champion as he out-fought beforehand unbeaten WBO title holder Lawrence Okolie for a 12-round determination win.
Billam-Smith victory in entrance of sellout stadium crowd of over 15,000 in his hometown capped off the Boxxer Promotions/Sky Sports activities card in Bournemouth, England. This because the hometown hero was the fighter most in management from the fourth spherical on.
Okolie dominating early motion touchdown lengthy proper palms, but in addition repeatedly smothering Billiam-Smith with clinches to stop in comply with up punches. He was repeatedly warned within the second and third rounds for holding and hitting the challenger.
However, then got here the fourth, because the challenger scored a left hook that knocked down of the champion and that had Okolie in deep trouble within the closing minute of the body. Billam-Smith, now 18-1, was capable of land cleanly a few occasions, however Okolie did a enough job of holding and surviving to listen to the bell.
Talking of holding, that turned a a lot larger situation because the struggle wore on with Okolie, now 19-1, repeatedly being warned and on two completely different events having some extent taken away by referee Marcus McDonald for an excessive amount of clutching. Okolie appeared to get management of the struggle again within the seventh and eighth rounds, however then, Billam-Smith scored closely once more with a superb left and proper within the ninth spherical.
Coming into the championship rounds Billam-Smith scored a second questionable knockdown within the tenth, when his punch with a stumbling Okolie appeared to solely look off of him. Nonetheless, McDonald did formally rule it a knock down and counted over the champion for the necessary eight rely.
Within the eleventh around the challenger scored a extra spectacular knockdown with Okolie swinging wildly and stumbling once more, he caught Okolie with a brief proper after which a left and the champion was down on all fours.
At that time it was apparent with the knockdowns dominated and with the 2 factors taken off for holding that Billam-Smith had mainly received the struggle. Amazingly although, one decide nonetheless had the struggle 112-112 on his scorecard. Nonetheless, that decide was overruled by the opposite two decisively going for Billam-Smith by 116-107 and 115-108.
“That is good. There’s nothing extra. And, it’s towards an ideal champion like Lawrence,” Billam Smith mentioned within the ring to Sky Sports activities.
“He’s given me very powerful, onerous onerous rounds. However, I imagine I did sufficient to win it….I used to be sick in mattress all week. I didn’t eat from Tuesday by means of Thursday….I imply it was straightforward making weight… I simply need to dedicate this to my mother, who has breast most cancers. Mother, that is for you.”
I’ve pictured me dropping down for that left hook (that dropped Okolie within the fourth) all week, all camp. It was identical to I envisioned it…. I’ve no phrases. It has not sunk in”
Okolie was making the fourth protection of his WBO title received by sixth spherical KO over Krzysztof Glowacki in March 2021. He had simply fought eight weeks earlier in a dull 12 round decision win over David Light in March. That was his first struggle in over a 12 months resulting from promotional points.
Billam-Smith had been as a lot as a 4 to 1 underdog getting into the bout towards Okolie. The 2 have been mates all through their boxing careers and have spared collectively repeatedly in coaching camps for different fights. However, on Saturday night time Billam Smith received the higher of the now, former WBO champ on this one.
There may be an computerized rematch clause and the previous Champion indicated post-fight he’ll train it and we are going to possible see these two rematch earlier than the tip of 2023.
However, on this night time in his hometown Chris Billam-Smith was the higher man in changing into a world champion within the cruiserweight division
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