The show-opener on Saturday could be the show-stealer when two cruiserweight bangers clash at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith is hoping to get back to winning ways having lost his crown to Gilberto Ramirez in Saudi Arabia in November.

Billam-Smith was game and courageous but out-fought by “Zurdo” through 12 hard rounds, and on Saturday on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn he faces the big-punching Brandon Glanton.

Atlanta’s Glanton is 20-2 (17 KOs). 

He heckled Billam-Smith from ringside at the public workouts on Wednesday when he said: “I’m gonna beat your ass, man. Ain’t none of that shit gonna work.”

The 33 year old has defeated Emil Makic and Aleksei Egorov in his past two fights, and knows that a win over the Bournemouth man will propel him towards a title fight.

Billam-Smith is rated four by the WBC; they have Glanton at fifth. 

A pro since 2017, Glanton said at Thursday’s press conference: “Obviously I’m in the UK, so he’s got plenty of fans here, but what I love about this place is it’s a real fighting country. Obviously everyone knows boxing was born here.”

Glanton told a story of how, when he was helping former WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie prepare for Billam-Smith ahead of Billam-Smith claiming the world title two years ago, Glanton offered his hand to the Bournemouth fighter to shake, but was snubbed. 

Glanton went personal on Thursday, said the 34-year-old Billam-Smith’s son had “a bitch” for a father, and said he was going to give Billam-Smith “brain damage”.

Billam-Smith opted not to respond, and said he would do his talking in the ring.