Billam-Smith Sees No Upside in All-British Massey Fight

Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith has no interest in a domestic fight with Jack Massey, and the reason is simple. He does not see how it helps him get back to a world title.

Speaking in an interview with The Ring, Billam-Smith made clear that a Massey fight does not fit where he sees himself in the cruiserweight division.

Billam-Smith is 35 and no longer at a stage where activity alone justifies a fight. He is ranked inside the top ten by all four sanctioning bodies and remains one of the better known names at cruiserweight. From his side, the next move needs to push him toward another title shot rather than fill a date.

Massey does not offer that. His recent losses to Jai Opetaia and Joseph Parker place him outside the world title tier. A win over him would not change Billam-Smith’s position with champions or sanctioning bodies. It would only restate something already known.

Billam-Smith’s standing in the division was reinforced even in defeat. In November 2024, he lost his WBO belt to Gilberto Ramirez over twelve rounds in Riyadh. The fight was demanding and physical. Billam-Smith applied steady pressure and took punishment, while Ramirez absorbed it and did enough to win a decision. The loss did not damage Billam-Smith’s credibility. It confirmed he could still operate at the highest level.

That same point had already been made earlier. His win over Brandon Glanton showed he remained capable of controlling and breaking down a solid contender. From his perspective, a Massey fight would repeat that exercise without adding anything new.

There is also the practical risk. Massey is durable and experienced. A long or punishing fight carries physical cost, even in victory. For a fighter aiming at another title run, that cost needs to come with a clear benefit.

Now a free agent, Billam-Smith is assessing options that keep him relevant at the top of the division. He is not looking to rebuild or reset. He is trying to stay positioned for a meaningful fight with something at stake.

From that viewpoint, Massey represents effort without return. Billam-Smith’s focus is on fights that advance him, not ones that merely confirm where he already stands.