19:36:23
DOWN GOES NIYOMTRONG!
After steadily going through the gears, Collazo gets his breakthrough in the final stages of the sixth, landing a beautiful check right hook right on the button to send Knockout CP Freshmart over. He gets up in time to beat the count but he was clearly hurt. How can he come back from that in the seventh?
19:32:48
CLEAN SWEEP?
We are five down and it’s almost impossible to give Niyomtrong a single one of them with Collazo in total control. He started to go through the gears in the fifth, landing again to the body but also making a dent with a big right hook to the head. Niyomtrong needs a change of plan.
19:25:26
SWITCHING LEVELS
Southpaw Collazo is now looking to spear a straight left hand into the belly before bringing that hook upstairs and Niyomtrong has let it through a couple of times. Collazo has seven stoppages from his 10 wins so is the puncher in this fight and he looks to be the more adventurous here too.
19:19:53
COLLAZO WARMING UP
Niyomtrong is insistent on parrying Collazo’s jab with his lead hand which has given the Puerto Rican a chance to feint it before bringing his hook round the side. The 10-0 WBO champion looks physically bigger here but can he impose himself on the long-reigning champ?
19:16:10
HAVING A LOOK
At 25-0, Niyomtrong is clearly the more experienced campaigner here but there are high hopes that Collazo could become a star of the lower weights. A tentative start from both here but a good right hand from Niyomtrong lands against his southpaw opponent with a minute left of the first.
19:11:37
FIRST UNIFICATION OF THE NIGHT…
Before CBS and Zurdo go at it up at cruiserweight, we have a unification down at minimumweight – and somebody’s 0 has got to go. WBO champion Oscar Collazo, who holds the record as the fastest Puerto Rican to win a world title, takes on WBA king Thammanoon Niyontrong aka Knockout CP Freshmart. Here we go…
19:02:18
CBS SPEAKS…
Backstage in his dressing room, a very relaxed Chris Billam-Smith speaks ahead of his world title unification at the top of the bill.
“I’m very chilled,” he said. “It builds slowly. We are focused, here ready to do a job but the flick won’t be fully switched until hands are wrapped. It feels like a big fight, it feels huge, you’ve got Golden Boy and American media. It feels like a big fight so it’s exciting.”
18:47:51
DUARTE UD 10
After putting in a huge shift there, Duarte gets the unanimous decision. The scores were 98-92, 97-93, 96-94, the last of which was probably closest to telling the story of the fight. 98-92, however, is too wide and harsh on the effort from Akhmedov who was there every step of the way.
18:45:33
WE WOZ RIGHT
So despite Sky saying this was a 12-rounder, that was in fact the 10th and final round of a brilliant firefight between Oscar Duarte and Batyr Akhmedov. It looked like Duarte might have just about done enough to edge it but we await the judges’ scorecards…
18:42:18
STILL NO LET UP
It’s impossible to take your eyes off the action here with both men standing in the pocket, winging away with hooks to both head and body. Duarte seems to be catching and countering, particularly with his right hook, with most efficiency but he is still not really putting a dent in his opponent. Into the 10th we head.
18:33:37
DUARTE TURNING THE SCREW
The Mexican is starting to walk Akhmedov down during the seventh, which is getting Duarte’s corner very excited. It’s worth remembering that Akhmedov was a late replacement for Kenneth Sims Jr for this fight – does he have the conditioning to hang tough for this whole fight at short notice?
18:30:50
AKHMEDOV HURT?
Another good round for Duarte in the sixth and he seems to make something of a breakthrough by hurting Akhmedov. But the Uzbek is made of stern stuff and shows no signs of wilting here.
18:25:09
DUARTE ROARS BACK
The man from Chihuahua shows he’s got that dog in him as he comes back in an all-action fifth and starts to target Akhmedov’s body, often landing with slashing left and right hooks downstairs before bringing a left hook to the chin to finish the combination. Even so, the Uzbek southpaw shows no sign of fading here. Into the sixth we go…
18:21:58
GOOD FOURTH FOR AKHMEDOV
The Uzbek really puts a shift in during the fourth and starts to land with more consistency against Duarte, who is backing his defences up closes but still appears to be letting a few through. Can the Golden Boy man respond here in the fifth?
18:17:58
THREE DOWN
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has taken his seat at ringside just in time to see the third round of this one tick by. The fourth is now underway and the pair basically ran at it each other when the bell went there. This is very even so far but can they both maintain this pace in the pocket?
18:13:03
HOW MANY?
Boxrec says 10, we’ve been told 10, but Sky reckon this is actually a 12-rounder. I guess we will soon find out which it is. Either way, there is more good action in the second so there will be few complaints if this one is the full 12.
18:09:04
PROMISING START HERE
Southpaw Akhmedov ‘The Shark’ straight on the hunt, attempting to take centre ring by forcing Duarte back with his firm jab. But Duarte looks in no mood to start slowly either. Both men have moments of success in an entertaining first round.
18:02:52
FIRST 10 ROUNDER UP NOW….
After the card opened with a majority draw over six threes between Ziyad Almaayouf and Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia, we are now into the first 10-round clash of the evening at The Venue in Riyadh. Golden Boy’s Oscar Duarte takes on Botirzhon Akhmedov at super-lightweight. The action is about to begin…
Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith: Live Updates & Results
Gilberto Ramirez faces Chris Billam-Smith in the main event of Riyadh Season’s Latino Night.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – NOVEMBER 14: Gilberto Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith face off during the press conference for the WBO World Cruiserweight title fight as part of the Riyadh Season – Latino Night on November 14, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Where can you watch Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith?
It will be shown live on DAZN. UK fans have the additional option of watching it on Sky Sports.
Main event ring-walks will be around 10.30pm (UK time), 5.30pm (ET) and 3.30pm (PT).
What fights are on the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith undercard?
12 x 3 mins – WBA ‘Super’ and WBO cruiserweight world titles
Gilberto Ramirez 199.6lbs
Chris Billam-Smith 199.4lbs
12 x 3 mins – WBA ‘Super’ and WBO minimumweight world titles
Oscar Collazo 104.8lbs
Thammanoon ‘Knockout CP Freshmart’ Niyomtrong 104.8lbs
10 x 3 mins – super-lightweight
Jose Ramirez 139.6lbs
Arnold Barboza 140lbs
10 x 3 mins – lightweight
William Zepeda 134.2lbs
Tevin Farmer 135lbs
10 x 3 mins – super-lightweight (catchweight)
Oscar Duarte 141.8lbs
Batyr Akhmedov 141.8lbs
6 x 3 mins – welterweight
Ziyad Almaayouf 143.2lbs
Juan Garcia 144.8lbs
