Chris Billam-Smith sees 'absolutely no point’ in a domestic clash with Jack Massey as he attempts to muscle his way back into the world title picture.

The former WBO cruiserweight champion, who lost his title in a unification clash with Gilberto Ramirez in November 2024, has not boxed since he beat Brandon Glanton in London on April 26 last year.

But CBS, The Ring’s No. 2-rated cruiserweight, is back in the gym and working towards a ring return at some point during the spring. He is now a free agent, having reached the end of his contract with Boxxer, and is currently assessing all available offers.

One of those came from his former promoter Ben Shalom, who presented him the chance to face Cheshire’s ‘One Smack’ Massey (23-2, 13 KOs). As reported by The Ring, the Boxxer head revealed he was only willing to match Billam-Smith with Massey or Ring champion Jai Opetaia and now the Bournemouth man has responded to that suggestion.

“Well I’ve never had an offer about an Opetaia fight,” he told The Ring. “We were very open to listening to them about the next steps once my contract ended.

“But the only fight that has been offered to us is the Massey fight and it was only informally offered anyway, there was nothing official about that or the Opetaia fight.”

Massey, 32, is a one-time world title challenger having faced recent Zuffa Boxing signee Opetaia in October 2024. He also lost on points to Joseph Parker in 2023 while he failed in his 2019 attempt for the vacant British title against Richard Riakporhe in December 2019.

Now Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KOs) has ruled out the possibility of facing Massey because he can’t work out where the upside is.

“I just don’t see any value in that fight at all,” he said. “Even if they could come up with great money, it's more about the value of the fight for me.

“There is absolutely no point in fighting him because I don’t see what I gain from it. If I beat him in a round or two all it does is show people that I’m still at world level.

“But then there’s a chance I could do that in my next fight potentially for a world title - that would prove that I’m at world level. I proved that by beating Brandon Glanton anyway.

“That fight just doesn’t give me anything. Even if you think of the best case scenario, which is that I go out there and demolish him in a round or two, then it doesn’t prove anything.

“But if you look at the fight then you wouldn’t expect me to go in there and demolish him in a round or two because he’s tough and durable. I’m very confident I’d beat him but he’s durable. If I go and do the same or better than Opetaia did all it does is prove I’m at world level. I’d rather do that in a more meaningful fight with more value and more on the line.

“If Massey went and boxed Glanton and did better than I did then there’s more value in the fight for me but at the moment, there’s simply no value.”