FORGET about the Euros; the two best cruiserweights in Britain, two of the top 5 in the world, rematch in London on Saturday night with not only a world title on the line but also legacy bragging rights.
World champion Chris Billam-Smith aims to expunge the only loss from his 19-1 record when he defends against Richard Riakporhe at the challenger’s beloved Selhurst Park.
REVENGE OR REPEAT?
Riakporhe (17-0) dropped CBS in the seventh round to ensure he earned a split decision points victory when the pair first met in a non-title 10-rounder back in 2019.
But in the five years since, it’s Billam-Smith who has been the busier and far more successful fighter.
Picking up 10 more wins he progressed through the belts, winning first British, then Commonwealth, European and, last year, world honours. In the same timeframe, Riakporhe has just one brief British title stint in seven wins to measure his improvements. Although, his last five fights have all been knockouts
THE GENTLEMAN
Victory, against the odds, over former champion Lawrence Okolie 13 months ago signalled CBS’s arrive at boxing’s cruiserweight division summit.
Never previously on the canvas, British rival Okolie hit the deck three times and had two points deducted for holding on route to losing his title, with Riakporhe sitting shellshocked at ringside.
Promoters Boxxer had been teasing an all-London showdown for the championship belt, but Billam-Smith – roared on by a capacity home crowd in Bournemouth – executed the perfect gameplan.
‘The Gentleman’, 33, also squeezed in a first defence in December, surviving a slow start before eventually wearing down and retiring veteran Pole Mateusz Masternak after eight rounds.
LONDON PRIDE
Riakporhe, 34, has been making more headlines for his relationship with Madonna than his boxing in recent weeks, but benefits from the same advantages as CBS in his own first world title tilt in having home advantage.
A lifelong Crystal Palace fan, he will make his walk first from the home dressing room as the betting favourite also.
Despite a gulf in quality of opponents, Riakporhe’s power advantage cannot be denied. He’s either dropped or stopped every man he’s stepped into a ring with since his pro debut in 2016.
Billam-Smith aside, the biggest name on his record is former world champ Krzysztof Glowacki, who Rickporhe demolished in four rounds in January last year.
THE REMATCH
With 11 of his 13 knockout wins coming inside five rounds, Billam-Smith has to be careful of the challenger’s power back hand in the early stages.
But experience is with the champion, who has contested nothing but 12 rounders over the last five years, winning either late or over the distance on most occasions.
Riakporhe has only been the full 12 once and only a late knockdown against Jack Massey swung two of the judge’s scorecards in his favour.
With a vocal home support behind him, I don’t envisage the distance being a problem for the challenger if required, however. But it’s whether he can carries his power late that matters most.
A notorious slow starter, Billam-Smith cannot afford to give away early rounds either, because the challenger will only grow in confidence and the last thing any cruiserweight on the planet wants is Riakporhe with a swagger.
CBS has to dominate those early exchanges, tire his challenger down, silence the crowd with his successes, and drag Riakporhe into deep waters.
I’ve tipped against the champion before, and vowed not to do it again!
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