Chris Billam-Smith might set aside his pursuit of Jai Opetaia to look at other options himself. Billam-Smith has long wanted to box Australia's Opetaia, who is widely regarded as the best cruiserweight in the world. But Opetaia is expected to move to heavyweight to fight former world champion Deontay Wilder on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard before a potential bout with the outstanding cruiserweight David Benavidez next year.
"From what I gather he's going to fight Wilder and then Benavidez," Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. "Opetaia's fighting Wilder, then Benavidez is his plan and I think he gets beat by Benavidez, before I get the chance to box him and beat him myself." If that does happen, Billam-Smith would then target Benavidez. I'm not going to wait around for a year," he said.
He cannot begrudge Opetaia fighting Wilder - Billam-Smith would do the same himself. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "If Opetaia was to pull out of the Wilder fight, I could fight Wilder," the Bournemouth man said. Who knows what's next, to be honest?
I can't look beyond Chev [Clarke on November 7] too much, there's that fear factor there." Billam-Smith told the Toe2Toe podcast: "I want the biggest fights, the biggest names, not necessarily for belts but if they're for belts, even better. Opetaia hasn't got one of the four main governing body belts but that's a great fight, he's seen as one of the best. "Wilder, I've always said I wanted to fight him." Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, told Sky Sports: "Jai Opetaia is more than likely going to be on the undercard. [Wilder] is one that we've been talking about and working on.
"The guy's willing to fight anybody," White said of Opetaia. "It's a very dangerous fight for him considering where he sits in his division right now. "But he's a fighter; he'll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does." Watch Chris Billam-Smith fight Cheavon Clarke live on Sky Sports on November 7
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