Boxing Betting Tips: Gilberto Ramirez vs Chris Billam-Smith

Reigning cruiserweight champions Gilberto Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith collide in an intriguing Riyadh Season unification on Saturday evening. 

Eyes may be elsewhere in the boxing world but this no doubt stands as the best offering between male fighters this weekend. 

Odds Now's Brad Walker takes a closer look at the bout to find you the best value.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Chris Billam-Smith - Fight Details

When is the fight?

The pair collide on Saturday 16th November. Main event ring-walks are expected to take place at around 10pm UK time. 

Where is the fight? 

The card is part of the current iteration of Riyadh Season and so takes place in the Saudi Arabian capital.

Betting odds

Gilberto Ramirez 4/9

Draw 20/1

Chris Billam-Smith 21/10

*Best UK odds as of 11AM 15/11/2024

Big fight analysis

While much of the attention has centred around the bizarre Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson spectacle in Texas, this unification between two of the top cruiserweights in the sport is undoubtedly the best male fight of the weekend. 

And while most would agree Jai Opetaia remains 'the man' at 200lbs, the victor between these two will surely meet the Australian in another coming together of the sanctioning body titles at some point next year. 

Both enter the ring with a single defeat to their name prior to the sounding of the opening bell in the Middle East. 

Ramirez (46-1, 30KOs) came up short against pound-for-pound sensation Dmitry Bivol back in November 2022, where he was comprehensively outboxed en route a unanimous decision defeat for the Russian's WBA lightweight strap. 

To his credit, Mexico's Ramirez has since rebounded and made the move up to cruiser, beginning his tenure at the weight with a dominant ten-round showing against former light-heavyweight Joe Smith Jr. 

A shot at long-time WBA cruiserweight ruler Arsen Goulamirian was next and resulted in Ramirez' crowning as a two-weight world champion, adding the belt to the WBO title he once held at super-middleweight between 2016 and 2018. 

Ramirez previously reigned as WBO champion at 168lbs. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

He now looks to add Billam-Smith's WBO cruiserweight title to his collection but must first find a way past a formidable opponent who is no stranger to entering as underdog. 

Like Ramirez, the Bournemouth man has only suffered one loss in his professional career so far after losing a narrow split-decision to Richard Riakporhe back in July, 2019. 

The 34-year-old has been almost faultless since, picking up the British, Commonwealth and European titles before landing a shot at fellow countryman and former gym-mate Lawrence Okolie for the WBO title in May last year. 

A bizarre and scrappy affair followed but ended with Billam-Smith's hand getting raised via majority-decision in front of a raucous Bournemouth crowd. 

Two defences have since followed; first, an eight-round retirement of Mateusz Masternak in December 2023, which was swiftly followed by a routine unanimous decision victory over the aforementioned Riakporhe in June. 

Odds Now's best bet

Ramirez has enjoyed a successful career to date but, if we're being honest, large portions of his 47-fight resume are incredibly padded. 

His standout victories, certainly in recent years, have all taken place at cruiserweight, though - namely, the wins over Smith Jr and Goulamirian. 

Yet, the Mexican began his career down at middleweight and has slowly worked his way through the divisions since. 

In contrast, he faces a natural and fully-fledged cruiser in Billam-Smith on Saturday evening. 

The Briton has spent his entire career at the weight but, as has been the case so often before, still enters a firm underdog at 21/10. 

'CBS' boasts a terrific chin and ruggedness which has seen come through tough tests in the past, particularly in his recent bout with Masternak, where he was asked several questions before going on to force the Pole to retire with a rib injury after eight rounds. 

Add the questions over Ramirez' power and whether it will have followed him up through the divisions, it's hard to see the Mexican favourite winning inside the distance. 

And so it could come down to a question of who is able to last and finish the strongest over the 12-round distance. 

Sure, Ramirez has already endured the championship distance since making the move up to cruiser, but one would have to suspect Billam-Smith will ask stronger questions of him than Goulamirian in his last outing. 

He is also accustomed to making a mockery of pre-fight odds playing down his chances of getting his hand raised in the past, and I'm going to back him to do the same again this weekend. 

There's enough juice in backing the Brit on the winner's line at 21/10, though an added tipple on Billam-Smith winning by decision/technical decision could be worth a tipple at 7/2.