Chris Billam-Smith Dethrones Lawrence Okolie, Wins WBO Cruiserweight Title
Bournemouth, England
Saturday, July 23, 2023
In a stunning upset, Chris Billam-Smith defeated Lawrence Okolie to win the WBO cruiserweight title at Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on Saturday night.
Billam-Smith, a 32-year-old challenger from Bournemouth, put on a dominant performance, outboxing the previously undefeated Okolie over the course of 12 rounds. Okolie, the reigning champion, struggled to find his rhythm and was unable to land many clean punches on Billam-Smith.
The judges scored the fight 118-110, 117-111, and 118-110 in favor of Billam-Smith, who captured the WBO cruiserweight title for the first time in his career.
The victory is a major upset, as Okolie was considered a heavy favorite heading into the fight. Okolie had won all 18 of his previous professional fights, while Billam-Smith had lost two of his 25 previous fights.
With the win, Billam-Smith becomes the first British fighter to hold the WBO cruiserweight title since Enzo Maccarinelli in 2010.
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