Chris Billam-Smith forces Mateusz Masternak retirement to retain WBO cruiserweight title

Chris Billam-Smith made his first successful defence of his WBO cruiserweight title against Mateusz Masternak in Bournemouth on Sunday.

Billam-Smith beat Lawrence Okolie in May this year to become world champion at cruiserweight, and his first test was against Masternak.

The veteran Pole has 47 wins, and five losses, to his name, with a defeat against Tony Bellew early in his career.

While fighters have beaten him before, nobody had ever stopped him, and the 36-year-old was standing in the way of some potential unification fights next year, though Richard Riakporhe is a potential mandatory for the WBO.

Billam-Smith and Masternak both started enthusiastically and threatened to open up in the early stages of the fight.

Before the bout, BIllam-Smith had admitted he would be in danger against his experienced rival if his preparation proved insufficient, and he was definitely required to keep his standards high to protect himself.

In the seventh round, Billam-Smith had the chance to unload as he got back to his busy style of the early rounds, and while the bout seemed relatively easily poised, he had already done enough though he might well have been behind on the scorecards.

At the start of the eighth, Masternak appeared to have problems with his ribs and did not come out to compete, retiring and giving victory to the Briton, and perhaps a lucky escape.

On the undercard, 2020 Olympian Ben Whittaker continued his fine start to his professional career with a brutal knockout in the fourth round, as the 26-year-old light heavyweight fighter moved onto 5-0 (4 KOs) courtesy of a jab and a left-handed counterpunch.

He beat Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj, with his opponent down in the third round before the stoppage in the following period.

‘The Surgeon’ fought three times in 2023 and may look to step up the frequency, and quality, of his fights in the new year.

There was a British title fight earlier on the card, as Lee Cutler and Kingsley Egbunike met to contest the British super welterweight championship.

It was Cutler who walked away with the belt as he claimed a unanimous 97-93 97-93 96-95 scoreline.

The 27-year-old, like Billam-Smith a Bournemouth fighter, now boasts a 14-1 (7 KOs) record and could look to kick on to challenge for European honours in 2024.

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