Glanton's brain damage threat 'disgusting' - Billam-Smith

Chris Billam-Smith beat Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn

Former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith has labelled comments made by opponent Brandon Glanton in the build-up to their recent fight as "vulgar and disgusting."

The 34-year-old from Bournemouth defeated his American opponent on Saturday by unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

At the final press conference before the fight, Glanton said: "I'll give you brain damage, dog". He later apologised for the remark.

"That was just vulgar and disgusting," Billam-Smith told BBC Sport.

"In a sport where people end up with brain injuries and sometimes fatalities happen, it was really hard to listen to.

"I only heard it after the press conference and that got me really riled up, when he said that it got to me.

"It didn't feel like me winning in the fight, it was about me not letting someone with that vulgarity win. It was important to let integrity win and thankfully it did."

Throughout fight week, Glanton went after Billam-Smith, shouting threats at him at a public workout and then aiming insults at him at a subsequent media conference.

His justification for the verbal onslaught was Billam-Smith apparently not shaking his hand when Glanton was part of Lawrence Okolie's team for his fight with BIllam-Smith back in 2023.

On Saturday night 'The Gentleman' won on each of the scorecards by a number of rounds, having landed the more eye-catching shots.

Chris Billam-Smith has 21 victories and has previously held the WBO cruiserweight title

After the final bell both fighters shared some emotional words, with Billam-Smith looking to make a point after the controversy of the week.

"I just told him that we can't be saying things like that," he said.

"There was thousands of kids watching the build-up and this is one of the biggest shows in the last few years.

"I just said we have to show what the sport should be about, if we are to be given a platform of this size then we need to be better role models - back and forth is fine but let's not overstep the line.

"In a sport where we give everything and we risk our lives, you don't need to be like that, we need to show some decency and humility. He did apologise."

It was Billam-Smith's first victory since defeat in Saudi Arabia when he lost to Gilberto Ramirez in a WBO and WBA unification bout.

He says he still has ambitions of returning to world level.

Aside from Ramirez the other champions are Australian Jai Opetaia, with the IBF belt, and Swedish boxer Badou Jack, who holds the WBC title.

"There's opportunities around. I will have to wait a bit though, I feel," Billam-Smith added.

"I think Zurdo Ramirez and Jai Opetaia are in talks to fight each other. If those two fight then the WBC route would be most likely for me, but we'll see.

"For now it's all about family time, having a bit of a rest from boxing and staying fit and then we'll see where we go."