Motivation is integral for combat sports. Professional boxers undergo excruciating training to prepare for a fight. And they expose themselves to the risk of getting seriously hurt during a fight. So, it is safe to say that these athletes require a sense of motivation to get in the ring and let it all out. And winning a fight is not just a cynical endeavor for these warriors. Recently, British professional boxer Chris Billam-Smith won his fight against Lawrence Okolie and became the WBO cruiserweight champion of the world.

After winning the fight against Okolie, Smith shared his motivation for stepping foot inside the boxing ring. He talked about his hero and where he gets his fighting spirit from. The Brit got emotional at the press conference after winning and talked about the person to whom he dedicated the win too.

Chris Billam-Smith dedicated the biggest win of his life to a special person

Michael Benson from talkSPORT, took to Twitter to share a clip from the post-fight press conference. Wherein, Smith can be seen getting emotional talking about his win. The 32-year-old could not control his emotions at the press conference as he talked about his beloved mother.

Talking about his mother, Smith said, “She is my hero. She really is. She’s always been my best mate and rock.” He further shared a piece of heartbreaking news with the boxing fans. Smith said, “We found out six weeks ago she’s got breast cancer. Thankfully it’s a small lump.” He further revealed that his mother also had breast cancer 25 years ago.

The newly crowned champion further said that he wants to dedicate the win to his mother. He claimed that his mother is a fighter and that’s where he gets his fighting spirit from. It should be noted that this title is the first one in Smith’s career. Although he has won regional titles, including European, British, and Commonwealth titles. Smith once made news when he was removed from the WBC rankings.

Smith faced adversities leading up to this fight

‘The Gentleman’ left no stone unturned in preparing for this fight, even though some odds were against him. After the win, Smith claimed that he was ill for a week. He said, “That’s a lot of adversity to endeavor through. All that adds up to emotion when you finally achieve it.” It is safe to say that Smith did not disappoint the 15,000 fans who came to witness the biggest moment of his career.

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Who do you think Smith should fight next? Let us know in the comments below.

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