CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH dedicated his hometown world title win to brave mum Carol who was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time just six weeks before his triumph.
The 32-year-old took 15,000 fans to his boyhood Bournemouth stadium to dethrone former gym-mate and WBO cruiserweight champ Lawrence Okolie on Saturday.
The Gentleman missed son Frank’s first birthday party on Friday so he could make the weight after a nasty stomach bug.
And – after securing a majority decision thanks to three knockdowns and Okolie being deducted two points – he revealed a far sadder family tragedy had inspired him.
Choking back tears he explained: “My mum is an amazing woman, my best mate, my rock.
“We found out six weeks ago that she has a small lump.
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“She had breast cancer before, 25 years ago, and had a mastectomy and it looks like she’ll have another one now.
“She has also had a stroke, she has beaten all of these things so it’s probably where I get my toughness from.”
Okolie insisted after the defeat – that could have come inside the distance through disqualification – that he will activate an instant rematch clause and even return to the Cherries’ ground.
The 2016 Olympian will need to drastically improve his hit-and-hold style that has bored fans before but never resulted in a pro defeat until Saturday.
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But CBS warned him that he will face a far better version of himself in the rerun, after his fight week was wasted between his bedroom and bathroom and sapped him of his strength.
“It was gruelling and physical,” he said about the all-English clash. “I was ill all week so I didn’t rehydrate as well or as much as usual.
“I was never pulling out. I wasn’t letting 15,000 people down.
“I had sickness and diarrhoea on Tuesday morning, had a bug, fasted and it carried on until Thursday.
“I made weight easy but it wasn’t nice, I was really low on energy.
“The doctor had a go at me because I had to lie to him a little bit. But it was worth it.
“The camp had gone so well so I knew it was too good to be true. Loads of Dioralyte in the week got me through.”
The newly crowned ace has already jetted out on holiday to celebrate and recover from the clash that left him with a nasty cut on his left eye.
And the teetotal champ has plenty of grub and some Premier League football on the menu.
At 1am on Sunday morning he said: “I’m going on holiday in eight hours, my nutritionist is getting married abroad, hopefully he’ll let me eat what I want over there.
“Coming back here to watch football will be crazy. Hopefully I’ll be on the pitch for the first game of the season.
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“The football club and the town have been brilliant with me, getting me on the pitch and helping grow my following.
“The town has been starved of boxing and now they have got me here, from selling out the arena twice and now here at the stadium with a world title.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
