Chris Billam-Smith hopes his sparring experience with Mairis Briedis will be enough to turn his match against Nathan Thornley into a stepping stone to a European fight against Tommy McCarthy.
Matchroom Fight Camp promoter Eddie Hearn suggested to Billam-Smith on Monday during an Instagram broadcast that he would be keen to make a title fight between the 30-year-old Commonwealth title holder and McCarthy.
The 29-year-old Northern Irish fighter has three wins since his defeat to Richard Riakporhe in early 2019, with Billam-Smith saying that his potential future opponent is, “in the form of his life.”
“Eddie mentioned the Tommy McCarthy fight the other day for the European title, and I’d also love that.
“I think that’s a fight that would need a crowd, so I think that fight makes sense. Eddie said he really wants to make it, we really want to make it, so hopefully [McCarthy] will take it as well.”
Billam-Smith spent two weeks sparring with former WBC cruiserweight title holder Briedis before the coronavirus lockdown, and he believes he has learned a lot to help him improve as a boxer.
He noted, “How meticulous every session is. We were only sparring, but they were very meticulous in his warm-ups and his preparation for every session. For me, how to-the-detail he was.
“I believe he spent a lot of time in [Wladimir] Klitschko’s camp, and he picked up lots of things by being there. Klitschko is very well known for how he has his sessions laid out. I think I’ve taken that on, being a bit more meticulous and preparing the best I can every day.”
The sparring with Briedis proved something of a step up for Billam-Smith.
“He keeps you very mentally engaged, you’re always thinking. Every punch is solid, he's a very solid puncher. Even his little touches are weighty, so you can’t give him anything.
“We sparred Monday, Wednesday, Friday, for two weeks in a row. I was used as the main sparring partner out there. It was an experience, that I was constantly thinking in the ring, and then going back and thinking what to work on.”
The Commonwealth title holder also questioned whether every fighter on show for this week’s card will have used the lockdown to their advantage to maintain or even improve their conditioning and strategies.
“Lockdown started just after I got back from Riga with Mairis Briedis, then I was just working at home. I had a gym built in my garden and got plenty of track work done. It was good, I learnt a lot about myself. I found it as a benefit, long term.
“You’ll find out in these fights who looked after themselves in lockdown and who didn’t. I think the fighters on show so far are the consummate professionals, and worked on their weaknesses in their lockdown.”
It’s that experience and dedication that sees Billam-Smith predict a win for himself after an early burst of energy from his 27-year-old opponent.
“I think the experience of me being in the gym that I’m in over the years, and the experiences from my fights — I’ve had two big nights already — for Nathan it’s his first step up. He may have only done an eight-rounder before.
“There’s a lot of unanswered questions to find out what level he’s at.
“I think the experiences I’ve had over the last year and half, sparring with world class people, that’s gonna pay off and I expect to take him out in the mid-to-late rounds.”