Billam-Smith beats Masternak to retain title

Chris Billam-Smith has secured victories by knockout in 13 of his fights.

Chris Billam-Smith, a British boxer, was able to keep his WBO cruiserweight championship after Mateusz Masternak decided to retire during their match in Bournemouth.

Referee John Latham halted the competition in the starting moments of round eight when Pole Masternak encountered an injury.

At the beginning of the match, Billam-Smith had a hard time keeping up with Masternak's performance. However, during the seventh round, his effort in targeting Masternak's body proved to be a successful strategy.

Billam-Smith has defended his title for the first time.

He has won 10 consecutive games and his total win count is 19 out of 20 matches. He was defeated once by Richard Riakporhe in 2019 and a return match with his British opponent may be in the works.

When asked about the possibility of fighting Riakporhe, who was present at the Bournemouth International Centre, Billam-Smith confidently told Sky Sports that he has never avoided a fight.

Richard and I faced each other in our 10th boxing match. Our previous records were quite similar, so it was a bit risky for the both of us.

"The rematch will be incredible, I'm way superior to him. He might take a glance at it and feel enticed."

Champion Satisfies Loyal Fans With Delivery

One of Bournemouth's fans, Billam-Smith, arranged for the fight to take place on Sunday night to accommodate his fellow supporters. A large number of them had already gone to Manchester on Saturday to witness the Cherries' victory against Manchester United with a score of 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Masternak took the first walk and had some Polish fans spread out throughout the arena to show their support.

As Billam-Smith walked down the ramp, the audience got up from their seats to cheer for him, while 'Hail' by Kano, who was present, played in the background. Billam-Smith had a focused expression and wore black shorts with gold accents, giving off a determined vibe.

The dedicated fans of Billam-Smith passionately chanted "He belongs to us, he belongs to us" as soon as the fight began. This encouragement motivated him to take action and experience happiness right from the start.

Billam-Smith took an aggressive approach in round one, consistently pushing Masternak towards the ropes. He used his size advantage to wear down his opponent by placing his weight on him. However, in round two, Billam-Smith's eagerness to get closer to Masternak led him to walk into a looping right. Masternak began to find his rhythm during this time.

Shane McGuigan, the trainer, suggested to Billam-Smith that he should support his jab when he came back to the corner. Billam-Smith followed this advice during the third round, as he began to locate his aim and carefully approached his opponent before attacking with a series of punches.

During the fourth round, the winning fighter began to experience swelling near their left eye. Masternak saw this as a chance to focus his attacks in that spot, and consistently landed punches with his right hand.

Billam-Smith had trouble with his rhythm, so he decided to get back to the fundamentals by lowering his chin and using the clinch to try and hit his opponent with quick shots in close quarters.

During the fight's midpoint, Masternak was the more agile fighter between the two. He moved around the ring, attempting to generate strategic angles for his attacks. Billam-Smith, on the other hand, appeared to be lacking in mobility and was less responsive.

By the seventh round, Billam-Smith began diversifying his attacks and targeting Masternak's body. This strategy paid off as Masternak started to tire and displayed signs of fatigue.

The fight ended in a puzzling way because Masternak took a long time to stand up from his stool at the beginning of the eighth round. Billam-Smith mentioned his dissatisfaction with the wait, and as a result, Latham stopped the fight.

It seems like Masternak got hurt in his ribs when Billam-Smith decided to change his strategy.

Billam-Smith stated that he was aware that he had caused harm to his opponent as their pace was considerably reduced, resulting in the end of the confrontation.

In my opinion, I could have reached him if given the chance. I began to successfully use the jab. It's unfortunate that he withdrew because I am confident that I could have demonstrated my level of maturity.

Before the fight, I had a lot of respect for him. I even declared that he would be my toughest opponent yet, and he certainly lived up to that expectation. Unfortunately, I made it harder for myself than it needed to be. I became too fixated on landing one big punch instead of sticking to my game plan.

Track Price's Pursuit Of World Title

British Olympic champion Lauren Price had a comfortable victory against Italy's Silvia Bortot, as she won on points after eight rounds to end the year on a high note.

Price, a woman from Wales, made her way to the ring while Love Inc's tune "You're a Superstar" played in the background. Her confident demeanor proved that she truly looked like a champion. Price has an undefeated record of six wins, with four of them in 2023. This success sets her on a path towards earning a world title in the near future.

Price is eager to square off with whoever wins between Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer, who will be battling on January 20th for Jonas's IBF welterweight championship.

The Olympic winner, Price, shared with Sky Sports that he is making progress with every fight, and this is his goal. He is consistently improving and reaching new levels of skill.

In 2024, my goal is to emerge victorious against Tash and Mayer. I have confidence that I can surpass them and claim the win.