Chris Billam-Smith is making a mistake even considering a future fight with Jay Opetaia, claims his next opponent Ryan Rozicki.
Rozicki, a fearsome puncher from Nova Scotia, will take on Billam Smith in his hometown of Bournemouth on June 6 live on Sky Sports.
Billum-Smith has made it clear that not only does he expect to beat Rozicki, but he believes a win would lead to a fight with Jay Opetaia, generally considered the best in the cruiserweight division.
Rozicki pounced on his rival’s declaration and identified it as an error on Billam Smith’s part.
“I think that’s a mistake. I wouldn’t say it’s rude, because he’s being asked questions and he’s answering questions,” the Canadian told Sky Sports.
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Chris Billum-Smith insists a fight with Jay Opetaia is ‘definitely going to happen’ and says it was a big factor in his decision to sign with Zuffa
“He’s just answering questions, but the way he responds shows that they’re already focused on Jay, they’re already focused on a bigger game than me, and I don’t think they should ever overlook a player like me.”
“If it switches off for just a second, he switches off too.”
Rozicki maintains a singular focus. “Thinking about the first round against Chris, I’m just going to take my shots and hit him with a clean shot to his head. No matter what I hit, I’m just going to hit him until the end of the fight,” he said.
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Watch Ryan Rozicki’s most explosive knockout before he takes on Chris Billam-Smith in Bournemouth on June 6th
But Billam Smith has already achieved great success. He has previously won British, British and European titles, as well as the WBO Cruiserweight World Championship.
He has already denied committing any lapse in targeting Opetaia. “People believe that talking about future rivalries means overlooking the enemy, but psychology also says you need to plan ahead,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
“Otherwise, that’s the end of the road, and that’s when your brain shuts down. The next fight can be the last fight, because it feels like the last fight and you can’t see anything beyond that.”
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Andy Scott explains everything you need to know about Zuffa’s first UK main event between Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki
He added: “I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing my whole career. Planning my route just keeps me more motivated. Look at my last game, there was nothing better than that game, nothing more than the (Brandon) Glanton game, there was no plan beyond that, so it felt like an empty game.”
“On the other hand, this fight leads to something, and you can find more out of yourself because you’re looking to something beyond that, or you know there’s something beyond that.
“Again, it’s important to compartmentalize it and not talk about it or think about it when you don’t need to.
“Training for this fight will help you train for the next match, and that’s how I think. It’s about constantly training and building yourself into someone who can win the next match, the next match, and the next match.”
Fans are encouraged to register their interest early for the best chance of securing tickets via ZuffaBoxing.com. Tickets will go on sale via BIC.co.uk from 10am (BST) on Friday 8th May, but those who register their interest early will have access from 10am (BST) on Thursday 7th May.
