Who is Chris Billam-Smith next opponent, Mateusz Masternak?
Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12KO) defends his WBO World cruiserweight bauble to challenger Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31KO) on Sunday, December 10, at the Bournemouth International Centre, live on Sky Sports.
It’s the first defence of the belt he won from Lawrence Okolie last May, where ‘The Gentleman’ ripped the world title away from his former teammate after flooring him three times.
Now, the 33-year-old world champion aims to give his fans an early Christmas present against Masternak just two weeks before the big day.
But who is the ‘Master’ from Poland? Find out all about him below:
Mateusz Masternak Facts
Mateusz Masternak was born on May 2nd, 1987 in Iwaniska, in south-central Poland, and is now 36-years-old.
Masternak had been living in Iwaniska until he finished primary and junior high school, then started training boxing at the KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski club. At the age of 15, he moved to Wrocław where he started training at the Gwardia Wrocław club with Mariusz Cieślak and Grzegorz Strugała.
His crucial year in amateur boxing was in 2005, when he became the junior champion of Poland in Middleweight (75 kg), he joined the national team afterwards.
As an amateur, he won 61 from 70 bouts.
The 52-fight veteran has 47 victories and has been a professional boxer for over 17 and a half years in the pro ranks, since his pro debut in Poland on June 3rd, 2006.
His nickname is the ‘Master’.
He is presently ranked WBC #9 and WBO #6 in the cruiserweight world rankings.
Masternak's first title he won was the WBC Youth cruiserweight title in his 12th fight in 2008. He has also won TWBA interim; IBO Inter-Continental; WBC Silver; WBA Inter-Continental; WBO European; IBF Inter-Continental; and European titles. This collection means he has won a professional title with all five governing bodies.
He reached 30-0 before he was stopped by Grigory Drozd in the first defence of his European title in 2013 in Moscow, Russia. It remains his only stoppage defeat.
The globetrotter has fought in eight different countires – Poland (29); America (6); Germany (9); Denmark (3); England (1); Russia (1); Monaco (1); South Africa (1); France (1).
He has only fought in the UK once before, against Tony Bellew in December 2015, which he lost unanimously – 112-115, 112-115, 113-115.
He has sparred and trained with Dillian Whyte in Portugal.
He is a big fan of sushi.
Mateusz often goes for dips in freezing cold lakes in his area for recovery.
He has been with his wife, Daria Masternak, for over 18 years. She is a personal trainer from Wroclaw and they have two children together. Their young son, Maksym, has started boxing already.
Masternak on Billam-Smith:
"Chris is a great fighter, he doesn't have a lot of weaknesses, in his last fight he was able to beat [Lawrence] Okolie. I have to watch him carefully and look at all his weaknesses.
"The message to Chris and his fans is when I take the belt we're going to a Polish boxing event in London."
Roll of Honour
WBC Interim Youth title
TWBA Interim Youth title
IBO Inter-Continental title
European title
WBC Silver International title
WBA Inter-Continental title
WBO European title
IBF Inter-Continental title
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