For the first time in his professional boxing career, former world champion Chris Billam-Smith experienced a significant and sobering setback last November.
He had previously lost a very close split decision to Richard Riakporhe in 2019.
However, he easily recovered from that defeat, building an unbeaten streak and even avenging the loss against Riakporhe before his bout with Gilberto Ramirez. Billam-Smith`s record currently stands at 20 wins, 2 losses (13 by knockout).
In their November clash, the 34-year-old Brit showed immense grit and his inherent strength of character as he fought to defend his WBO title.
Ultimately, Ramirez`s skillful movement and non-stop offense were too much for Billam-Smith on that occasion.
Now, beyond the physical toll of his unanimous decision loss, Billam-Smith must contend with the psychological impact.
It`s natural for any fighter, regardless of how mentally tough they are, to find it challenging to rebound from a defeat, especially concerning the potential dip in confidence.
This is something Billam-Smith`s long-time head coach, Shane McGuigan, has been carefully considering during their preparation camp for this Saturday`s fight.
Fighting on the undercard of the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn event at London`s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Billam-Smith is set to face American cruiserweight contender Brandon Glanton.
McGuigan believes that only through this fight will the Bournemouth native truly regain his self-assurance.
“You cannot just coast through training like in previous camps and expect the same momentum,” McGuigan stated.
“Things were always moving forward, so there was no need to boost his confidence; the results did that,” he added.
“This is his first real setback since the Riakporhe loss – a fight he felt he won. He doesn`t feel the same way about the Ramirez fight,” McGuigan explained.
“We can try to instill confidence and belief, but he will gain the real confidence *in* the fight on Saturday,” McGuigan asserted.
Looking at Glanton`s record of 20-2 (17 KOs), the most prominent feature is undeniably his knockout power.
However, McGuigan appears to have devised a strategy to mitigate this threat and protect Billam-Smith.
“You either evade it completely, or you neutralize it,” McGuigan elaborated. “You can either work on the inside or maintain a long distance.”
“Chris hasn`t typically struggled with power itself; his issue has sometimes been lapses in concentration. Glanton finishes fights strongly – he knocked down David Light in round 10 and stopped Aleksei Egorov in round 11 – so avoiding those lapses is key,” McGuigan concluded.
