Richard Riakporhe never planned on defeat. But he suffered a painful loss when challenging Chris Billam-Smith for the WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday. The setback will be all the more difficult for him to process as the loss he never envisaged taking occurred in front of his home fans at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium….
Chris Billam-Smith settled his score with Richard Riakporhe, avenging his only previous professional defeat and defending the WBO cruiserweight world title for a second time. It was his second world title fight at a Premier League football stadium against a British rival. Now he has set his sights on a trip overseas and becoming a…
Chris Billam-Smith denied Richard Riakporhe a dream homecoming as he beat his British rival by unanimous decision to enact revenge and successfully defend his WBO cruiserweight world title at Selhurst Park. The reigning champion delivered a calculated, controlled performance to nullify the power of his opponent and spoil the Riakporhe party at the home of…
Richard Riakporhe’s fighting nickname is ‘The Midnight Train’. Does that make Chris Billam-Smith ‘The Little Engine That Could’? After all, even though Billam-Smith is the world champion going into this fight, he is widely considered the underdog against this challenger. For many he exceeded expectations when becoming a British champion, let alone European and then…
Experts and pundits have their say ahead of Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe’s clash for the WBO cruiserweight world title at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium on Saturday. Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe collide in one of the biggest all-British fights of the year on Saturday with fans able to tune in to watch a…
Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe locked into a long, unblinking staredown that turned into a battle of wills, as Ben Whittaker drove his opponent back by the throat at an intense weigh-in. Neither Billam-Smith nor Riakporhe would give an inch in their final face-off before their world title fight, live on Sky Sports on Saturday…
Over the next two days gym-mates Macaulay McGowan and Jack Massey could both win European championships. Massey takes on Isaac Chamberlain for the cruiserweight title on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, while McGowan boxes Abass Baraou for the super-welterweight belt in Bolton on Friday. He knows Baraou is a daunting opponent. “I expect a really…
Chris Billam-Smith’s nickname of ‘The Gentleman’ is fitting for a family man who holds local charities close to his heart, but the WBO champion has prepared for a “brutal” revenge mission. Billam-Smith has sharpened his skills for a treacherous WBO cruiserweight title defence against Richard Riakporhe in front of the challenger’s home crowd at Selhurst…
Chris Billam-Smith says he will stop Richard Riakporhe inside the distance when he defends his WBO cruiserweight world title at Selhurst Park this Saturday. For much of the build-up, it has been the knockout exploits of Riakporhe to have featured among the chief talking points, but Billam-Smith has issued his own statement of devastating intent…
Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe collide in one of the biggest all-British fights of the year this Saturday – here’s all you need to know ahead of their cruiserweight world title showdown. When is the Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe fight? Riakporhe will challenge Billam-Smith for the WBO cruiserweight world title in the main event on Saturday…
