“We did try,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. “I said I’d be ready to go in November. He wanted me to fight six weeks after a vacation. I respect him enough to know I need a full camp against him.
“I said give me an extra month, and I’ll be ready, he said no. He boxed in October, I boxed ‘Zurdo’ in November.”
Both fighters held world titles at the time, and a unification bout between them was discussed as one of the most attractive bouts in the cruiserweight division. Instead, their careers moved in different directions.
Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KOs) lost his WBO title to Gilberto Ramirez in November 2024, but remains one of the division’s best-known names in Britain. Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) has since solidified his position near the top of the division.
Despite the earlier disagreement, Billam-Smith says a fight with the Australian is still one of the fights he wants most as he prepares for the next phase of his career after a year out of the ring.
“I want the best fights out there,” Billam-Smith said. “Those who are going to stand me up to make a statement, and you can only make a statement against the biggest names.
“Like Opetaia, ‘Zurdo’, Benavidez. These are the fights we will want in the next one to two years.”
Billam-Smith believes getting back in the ring first will help determine where he stands before chasing those bouts. The British cruiserweight says the break from competition has left him refreshed and eager to return against top opposition.
