Chris Billam-Smith believes Ryan Rozicki is taking his opportunity seriously, but he doesn’t think a single training camp will make up for the years spent competing at the next level.

The former WBO cruiserweight champion will return against Rozicki in Bournemouth on Saturday, with the winner moving closer to a major fight in the division led by Jai Opetai.

Billam-Smith was asked if Rozicki truly believed he belonged at this level.

“I believe he thinks he’s been given an opportunity. He takes it very seriously and does everything he has to do. But sometimes it’s just not enough. Sometimes you’re just not good enough,” Billiam-Smith told ProBox TV.

“I think he is what he is in terms of his punching power, his physique and what he does. But sometimes there are things you can’t just incorporate in training camp. When I’ve been doing it for so long and been at the next level for so long, you can’t just make up for it in one training camp.”

Rozicki comes into the fight with a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the division and has repeatedly talked about ending the fight by knockout. Billam-Smith acknowledged the threat but believes experience will be a factor when they meet.

“He’s talked about it before: ‘I win by knockout or I get knocked out.’ So there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows he can get beat.

“But I think he thinks it’s a good opportunity.”

Saturday’s fight is Billam-Smith’s first appearance since his points win over Brandon Glanton in April 2025. A victory will put him in top cruiserweight fights, including a potential clash with Ring magazine champion Jai Opetaia.

“For me, I think he believes he has a chance and will give it his all. But the Jai Opetaia fight is the one I want at the moment. It’s the next step, but I have to take care of things on Saturday first.”

Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.

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Last update: 2026/06/04 at 11:24

Devin Haney won the WBO welterweight title in November, but “The Dream” was unable to agree to his first defense.

Now it looks like the American is ready to face the undefeated former champion.

Haney dethroned Brian Norman Jr in Novembernoting one of the standout performances of the year, which saw the Georgian-born operator suffer the first loss of his career after moving up from the super lightweight division.

Seven months have passed and Haney still hasn’t signed a deal to make his first title defense or unify with other 147-pound champions, despite being linked to a sought-after rematch with bitter rival Ryan Garcia and a clash with WBA titleholder Rolando Romero.

However, after being named the number one contender in the WBO welterweight division, undefeated former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis took to social media to call for a fight for Haney’s belt.

ON XHaney responded to the call by publicly accepting the proposed All-American scrap, stating, “Let’s do it KEYSHAWN.”

Let’s do it KEYSHAWN.. https://t.co/plq9hqQpBP

— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) June 3, 2026

Haney had previously invited a fight following Davis’ win over Ortiz, but talks quickly died down when rumors of a potential meeting with Romero surfaced, only for the fight to fall through, reportedly due to Haney not being paid a guaranteed amount.

With Haney-Romero seemingly off the table, the door may now be open for Chorley’s Jack Catterall to take advantage and secure Romero’s ‘WBA Super’ crown after winning the WBA (regular) welterweight title last month.

Lamont “The Reaper” Roach Jr. and William “El Camarón” Zepeda will fight for the vacant WBC lightweight world title on Saturday, August 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, announced promoter Golden Boy. The 12-round fight will headline “The Fight,” a fresh monthly series from TNT Sports and DAZN that will air in the United States on TNT and truTV and stream globally on DAZN. Golden Boy promotes itself in cooperation with TGB Promotions and ProBox Promotions.

Roach Jr. (25-1-3, 10 KO) of Washington, D.C., and Zepeda (33-1, 27 KO) of San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, arrived after back-to-back title fights without a win. Last year, Roach Jr. he has fought two majority draws: against Gervonta Davis for the WBA lightweight title in March 2025 and against Isaac Cruz at super lightweight in December 2025. Zepeda has not fought since taking a unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson for the WBC lightweight title in July 2025, the only loss of his career.

How the title became empty

The WBC lightweight championship opened after Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds. He collected the WBO junior welterweight title from Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden on January 31becoming a four-division champion, after which the WBC declared his 135-pound title vacant. The sanctioning body later ordered Roach Jr. and Zepeda meet for the belt.

“We have been working demanding since my last fight,” Zepeda said in a press release. “We are at the top of the lightweight division and we know that any opponent at this level is a sedate challenge. Once again we have been given the opportunity to fight for the world championship and we are ready to show the world who exactly “El Camarón” Zepeda is. “

Roach Jr., who won the WBA super featherweight title with a split decision victory over Héctor García in November 2023, billed the fight as the next step in his class. “This is my fourth consecutive world title fight in a different weight class,” he said. “Without a doubt, I am bringing boxing back and fighting for the top spot.”

“William Zepeda has fully deserved this opportunity,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president and CEO of Golden Boy. “Over the years, he has taken on every challenge put before him and has established himself as one of the most thrilling fighters in boxing with his relentless pressure, incredible work rate and fan-friendly style.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. PT on AXS.com and GoldenBoy.com for $300, $200, $150, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. Pre-sale will start on Thursday, June 4. Details about the card and credentials will be announced in the coming weeks.