Chris Billam-Smith vs. Mateusz Masternak | Sky Sports - 10 December 2023

[Ruthless-RKO]

Chris Billam Smith-Mateusz Masternak WBO Title Fight Eyed For Early December

Chris Billam-Smith appears to be set for a voluntary title defense before he is ordered to face his mandatory contender.

BS.com has confirmed that the reigning WBO cruiserweight titlist is due to put his belt on the line in early December. The frontrunner to land the assignment is Poland’s Mateusz Masternak, who has reportedly signed to challenge for the title according to Ring Polska.

Billam-Smith (18-1, 12KOs) won the title in a twelve-round decision over 201-6 Olympian and previously unbeaten titlist Lawrence Okolie on May 27 in his hometown of Bournemouth, England. There were talks of a rematch between the former training stablemates, though Masternak has since emerged as the likely candidate to face the 33-year-old Brit.

It was acknowledged during the WBO convention that Billam-Smith was permitted to advance with the voluntary title fight. His mandatory will be due after that, with countryman Richard Riakporhe presently the top ranked cruiserweight.

Both boxers presently fight under the BOXXER banner. Riakporhe beat Billiam-Smith via ten-round, split decision in a July 2019 matchup of unbeaten prospects at The O2 in L

Masternak (47-5, 31KOs) has won six in a row since an October 2018 points loss to Yuniel Dorticos in their World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament quarterfinal matchup in Orlando, Florida. The 36-year-old Pole has not fought since a twelve-round, unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jason Whateley last October 29 in Zakopane, Poland.

The year-plus long layoff ahead of his potential first career title fight is in part due to his being pulled from a mandatory title challenge versus lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. The matter was due to head to a purse bid before his team pulled him from the bout, with the belief at the time that he was next in line to face Billam-Smith in October.

It was acknowledged during the WBO convention that Billam-Smith was permitted to advance with the voluntary title fight. His mandatory will be due after that, with countryman Richard Riakporhe presently the top ranked cruiserweight.

Both boxers presently fight under the BOXXER banner. Riakporhe beat Billiam-Smith via ten-round, split decision in a July 2019 matchup of unbeaten prospects at The O2 in London. Billam-Smith has won nine straight since that night.

[maverick23]

Will be interesting to see what happens.

Okolie has a rematch contracted and seemed sure about utilising it so I’d imagine he’d have needed a pretty big payoff to walk away.

Masternak was promised a title shot to withdraw from being IBF mandatory whilst Riakporhe had the same.

So wonder what will happen with both Okolie (move up to heavy?) and Riakporhe.

Either way it’s taking it’s time and not really fair on any of them.

[jameswilson]

Work of genius signing Okolie wasn’t it……

[jwfg]

Work of genius signing Okolie wasn’t it……

The future of boxing.

[maverick23]

Work of genius signing Okolie wasn’t it……

I got it. They needed headliners and a world champ and I think they were all expecting him to beat CBS. Properly backfired though given his performances since leaving Matchroom/Shane McGuigan.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Okolie. He was so critical of Matchroom yet he seemed like he was 100% taking this rematch.

Same for Riakporhe. Seemed like they’d banked on the Goulamirian fight when getting him not to have purse bids and now that’s not happening so will be Q2 at the earliest next year by the time he potentially fights the winner of CBS/Masternak.

[cormack]

happy to see CBS back out defending

[stujones]

masternak seems to have been around forever.

[Ruthless-RKO]

masternak seems to have been around forever.

Remember he fought Bellew like 8-9 years ago

[Spud]

I like CBS a thoroughly decent bloke.

But he is by far our most vulnerable and weakest champion.

[Ruthless-RKO]

David Avanesyan vs Michael McKinson set for December 16

It was reported at last week's WBO convention that David Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17KO) will face Briton Michael McKinson (25-1, 4KO) on the undercard of Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak in Bournemouth, December 16, live on Sky Sports.

Trained by Carl Greaves, the former world champion made his bones fighting at home in Russia, before being adopted by the UK. He beat a shell of former boxing superstar Shane Mosley (UD 12), then pushed Lamont Peterson close, narrowly losing a 12-round decision.

The 35-year-old was stopped by Egidijus Kavaliauskas (TKO 6) but rebounded to win six fights including an on-the-road win over Kerman Lejarraga (TKO 9) to claim the European title. Also took the unbeaten record of talented Josh Kelly (TKO 6). Was knocked out by Terence Crawford (KO 6) when he challenged for the WBO title last December.

McKinson turned professional in 2014. The Brit worked his way up on small hall shows across the country before stepping up and taking the unbeaten records of Luis Alberto Veron (UD 10), Michael Harkin (UD 10) and Chris Kongo (UD 10).

However, the 29-year-old lost for the first time when he stepped up into world class against big-punching Vergil Ortiz (TKO 9). The tricky southpaw has since returned with three wins, including one on the undercard of Okolie-Billam-Smith in May.

In the main event, Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12KO) will make the first defence of his WBO cruiserweight title against veteran Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31KO).

Former opponent and close friend, Lawrence Okolie, held the WBO title from 2020-2023 but conceded it to former teammate Billam-Smith in May. 'The Sauce' had a rematch clause in the contract but it appears to have chosen a different direction, for now.

33-year-old CBS is The Ring’s No. 4-rated cruiserweight after claiming the WBO title by beating former teammate Lawrence Okolie in what was a very messy fight, but one where he surprised the word with three knockdowns against a man that had never been troubled before.

Polish puncher Masternak is The Ring’s No.10-rated cruiserweight. Now 36, the 52-fight veteran turned professional 17 years ago in 2006. He passed up a shot at Ring and IBF ruler Jai Opetaia in favour of this shot at Billam-Smith.

[stujones]

masternak seems to have been around forever.

Remember he fought Bellew like 8-9 years ago

Yeah and he seemed to have been classed as experienced and found his level before that fight

[maverick23]

Masternak is still decent I think and I much prefer this fight than seeing the Okolie rematch.

I think it’s a real live fight - will be interesting to see the odds.

[jwfg]

I like CBS a thoroughly decent bloke.

But he is by far our most vulnerable and weakest champion.

I agree with the first bit, but he's just beaten one of the best in the division, he's never been down and his only loss was a split. That ain't the behavior of a weak and vulnerable champion.

[Frostieballs]

Gutted. I was really looking forward to seeing rematch with Okolie

[leejonesjnr]

Gutted. I was really looking forward to seeing rematch with Okolie

[jwfg]

Gutted. I was really looking forward to seeing rematch with Okolie

It's alright mate. *PASSES A BOX OF TISSUES*

[Glass Joe]

I like CBS and hope he has a few defences and get a life changing purse against someone

The CW division is a mess in the UK. From the dire first Okoile fight to the rematch no one wants to see and pay for. To the mismatch of the Jordan fight to the ducking and inactivity at his peak of Richard Riakporhe.

[SeanBrennan]

I like CBS and hope he has a few defences and get a life changing purse against someone

The CW division is a mess in the UK. From the dire first Okoile fight to the rematch no one wants to see and pay for. To the mismatch of the Jordan fight to the ducking and inactivity at his peak of Richard Riakporhe.

I like him too, hope we see him fight Jay

[Glass Joe]

[jameswilson]

Eddie Hearn lost Lawrence Okolie and gained Jai Opptaia and some people were laughing.

Now it can be likened to gaining a brand new BMW and losing an envelope with a piece of human sh1t inside it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Confirmed

[Glass Joe]

hopefully booxer gave okile 100 quid side step money so he can something for christmas. I will probably travel down to this. strange having it on a Sunday.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

An early Christmas cracker will be delivered to the Bournemouth beachfront on Sunday, December 10th as Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KO’s) makes the first defence of his WBO World Cruiserweight Championship.

Polish powerhouse Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31 KO’s) - a former European and IBF and WBA Intercontinental Cruiserweight Champion currently ranked #5 in the world by the WBO and #9 by the WBC - challenges Billam-Smith in a championship bout which headlines the BOXXER card taking place at the Bournemouth International Centre and airs live and exclusively on Sky Sports.

“Mateusz Masternak is a superb fighter, he’s proved that throughout his career. He’s got double the amount of fights that I have - he’s actually got more KO wins than I have fights - and his only losses are at the very top level. His style matches well with mine and I think it’s going to be a very exciting fight, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Billam-Smith.

Returning to the UK for the first time since his 2015 European championship fight with Tony Bellew, Masternak rides a six-fight win streak into the bout. Three of those wins have come by KO, one of them a fourth-round stoppage of Albania’s Armend Xhoxhaj, who went five rounds with Billam-Smith last year.

Having sold out the BIC on two previous occasions, December will mark Billam-Smith’s third time headlining Bournemouth’s largest indoor arena and his first contest since May, when he beat Lawrence Okolie in front of a capacity crowd at the Vitality Stadium.

Masternak said, “I think Chris Billam-Smith is a very good boxer. He showed his warrior soul in his last fight and proved that he deserves to be champion. I have a lot of respect for him in that way, but I believe more in my skills and my experience. I’ve been dreaming of the world championship since I started boxing. My boxing journey has been like a movie, all the highs and lows. I hope in December we get the best scene. I’m looking forward to fighting in England again, the fans create a great atmosphere there.“

And ahead of his maiden world title defence, Billam-Smith has committed his future to BOXXER by signing a new extended deal, which includes a commitment to rematch Lawrence Okolie if he remains champion.

BOXXER founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “Chris Billam-Smith wanted his first defence of the WBO World Cruiserweight Championship to be a big crowd-pleaser of a fight in his home town. Mateusz Masternak ticks all the boxes; he's ranked number five in the world, he's got a ton of experience and he rarely takes a backwards step. He’s a very dangerous opponent and Billam-Smith is taking a serious risk here.

“Anyone who has ever experienced a BOXXER event at the Bournemouth International Centre will know just how crazy the atmosphere gets in there and I think this one will take that to a new level, the crowd are going to raise the roof. We're ending the year with a guaranteed Christmas cracker and I can't wait."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lauren Price will fight Silvia Bortot on this card.

[JamesPhilips]

Lauren Price will fight Silvia Bortot on this card.

Yippee. I’d pay just to see that.