Chris Billam-Smith is prepared to pursue alternative heavyweight opportunities rather than remain idle while waiting for his long-desired showdown with Jai Opetaia.
The Bournemouth fighter has harboured ambitions of facing Australia's Opetaia, who commands widespread recognition as the sport's premier cruiserweight talent.
However, Opetaia is anticipated to step up in weight to challenge former world champion Deontay Wilder on the undercard of the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua heavyweight clash. The Wilder-Opetaia bout is being lined up for December 11 in Cardiff, with a potential subsequent meeting against outstanding cruiserweight David Benavidez scheduled for the following 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.
Should that sequence unfold as predicted, Billam-Smith would subsequently pursue Benavidez himself.
But that's a year away. I'm not going to wait around for a year,he stated.
The fighter does not fault Opetaia's decision to pursue the Wilder opportunity—a choice he would make himself in identical circumstances.
If Opetaia was to pull out of the Wilder fight, I could fight Wilder,the Bournemouth man explained.
We could do it. 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.
Speaking to the Toe2Toe podcast, Billam-Smith outlined his ambitions for marquee opposition.
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. That's what I want.
Wilder, I've always said I wanted to fight him.
Opetaia willing to take the challenge
Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, confirmed to Sky Sports that negotiations remain active regarding the heavyweight clash.
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 his fighter.
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.
Billam-Smith's immediate focus
Before any heavyweight considerations materialise, Billam-Smith must navigate his upcoming cruiserweight assignment. He headlines Zuffa Boxing 12 against Cheavon Clarke on November 7 at London's Copper Box Arena, a bout carrying considerable personal significance.
According to Sky Sports, Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the 2016 national elite amateur final and subsequently fell to him again in an English title belt series, lending the rematch considerable emotional weight. Both fighters recently competed on the same Bournemouth card, with Billam-Smith securing a seventh-round stoppage of Ryan Rozicki whilst Clarke recovered from two fourth-round knockdowns to stop Jack Massey in the seventh round.
This Clarke encounter represents a crucial stepping stone in Billam-Smith's pursuit of elite-level opposition. The fighter has demonstrated his capacity to overcome previous setbacks, having avenged his 2024 defeat to Richard Riakporhe with a victory in their rematch, establishing a pattern of redemption that he now seeks to repeat against Clarke.
What comes next
The Opetaia-Wilder bout remains unconfirmed despite ongoing discussions, with the December 11 Cardiff undercard still subject to finalisation. Billam-Smith's performance against Clarke on November 7 will substantially influence his positioning for whatever heavyweight opportunity emerges, whether that involves Wilder directly or another marquee challenger.
