Chris Billam-Smith could set aside his pursuit of Jai Opetaia to look at other options for himself.
Billam-Smith has long wanted to box Australia’s Opetaia, who is widely regarded as the best bantamweight in the world.
But Opetaia is expected to move up to heavyweight to fight former world champion Deontay Wilder in Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua ahead of a possible showdown with super heavyweight David Benavidez next year.
“From what I gather he’s going to fight Wilder and then Benavidez,” Billam-Smith said. Sky Sports.
“Opetaia is fighting Wilder, then Benavidez is his plan and I think he’s going to get beat by Benavidez before I get a chance to box him and beat him myself.”
If that happens, then Billam-Smith would target Benavidez. “But it’s a year away. I’m not going to wait for a year,” he said.
He can’t disappoint Opetaia by fighting Wilder – Billam-Smith would do the same himself.
“If Opetaia were to pull out of the Wilder fight, I could fight Wilder,” said the Bournemouth player. “We could do it. Who knows what’s going to happen next, to be honest? I can’t look too far past Chev (Clarke on November 7), that’s where the fear factor is.”
Billam-Smith told him The Toe2Toe Podcast: “I want the biggest fights, the biggest names, not necessarily for belts, but if they’re for belts, even better. Opetaia doesn’t have one of the four main governing body belts, but this is a big fight, he’s seen as one of the best. That’s what I want.
Wilder, I’ve always said I wanted to fight him.”
‘Ready to fight anyone’
said Dana White, who promotes Opetaia Sky Sports: “Jai Opetaia is more likely to be in the top position. (Wilder) is the one we’ve been talking about and working on.
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Sky Sports’ John Dennen spoke to Dana White about what to expect from the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight
“The guy is willing to fight anybody,” White said of Opetaia. “It’s a very dangerous fight for him, considering where he is in his division right now.
“But he’s a fighter; he’ll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder.”
Watch Chris Billam-Smith’s fight with Cheavon Clarke live Sky Sports on November 7
