Boxing Live: Although they were sparring partners and friends, Chris Billam-Smith notes that he has spent years preparing to defeat Lawrence Okolie.
On May 27, he will get the opportunity to do so when he takes on Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight world championship.
Billam-Smith has won medals at the British, Commonwealth, and European levels, and his upcoming match against Okolie will be his toughest test yet.
They are familiar with one another. They were working out together under Shane McGuigan just last year until Okolie moved and started working out with Tyson Fury’s current head trainer, SugarHill Steward. Their parallel professional paths will lend a little more heat to what is sure to be a banger in Bournemouth. This matchup has been anticipated for many years.
Billam-Smith said to Sky Sports, “When I was an amateur, I wanted to box Lawrence. He was the No. 1 seed in the ABAs [the national amateur championships] in 2016 as I was rising through the ranks. Following his qualification for the Olympics, he was then eliminated. I entered the ABAs at No. 3 and advanced to the final.
“He was the top player in the nation early in my pro career. I was preparing to defeat him. I got to fight him for a world title after he joined the gym.”
Late in March, Okolie called Billam-Smith out, and days later, the fight was agreed to. Since then, the two have faced off in front of the media during their first news conference prior to the bout, where the tone was a little… uncomfortable.
“I had expected him to be a little nicer, but he seemed to be acting awkwardly. Although it was strange in a way,” Billam-Smith said.
In boxing, friends do not often fight one another. However, it gives this fight a new dimension and prevents the buildup from devolving into trash talking.
“We are acquainted. None of us actually disparages opponents. Being kind and not turning the tables to start the fight despite being such a public fight. Two longtime friends are simply competing for a world title,” according to Billam-Smith.
They even attempted a tentative embrace when they clashed during their press conference.
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