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Chris Billam-Smith vs. Richard Riakporhe 2 – Huge Fight Preview and Predictions

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Chris Billam-Smith dropped Lawrence Okolie three times along the way to becoming the new WBA Cruiserweight Champion. Photo Credit: LAWRENCE LUSTIG/BOXXER

CBS and Riakporhe clash once again - this time the world title is at stake.  (Image source: Sky Sports)
CBS and Riakporhe clash once again – this time the world title is at stake. (Image source: Sky Sports)

Crystal Palace fan Richard Riakporhe will fight for the WBO cruiserweight world title, currently held by his aged rival Chris Billam-Smith, at Selhurst Park this weekend.

Boxxer is promoting the Billam-Smith vs. Riakporhe 2 fight and the bill is still on Heavenly sports in UK.

It will be a repeat of the 2019 match at the O2 Arena in London, which took place over ten rounds. On that occasion, a seventh-round knockout in Riakporhe’s favor helped the Londoner win a split decision, but since that night both have matured and developed.

Billam-Smith (19-1, 13 KO) has since won ten times, winning the Commonwealth title in his next outing before adding a British and European crown in July 2021 after a lopsided verdict over Bournemouth champion Tommy McCarthy the man was knocked out in the eighth game in a rematch nine months later.

Billam-Smith defended himself in December last year, forcing Mateusz Masternak to withdraw after eight rounds, and he was two cards behind at the end of the match.

Chris Billam-Smith knocked down Lawrence Okolie three times on his way to becoming the new WBA cruiserweight champion.  Photo credit: LAWRENCE LUSTIG/BOXXER
Chris Billam-Smith knocked down Lawrence Okolie three times on his way to becoming the novel WBA cruiserweight champion. Photo credit: LAWRENCE LUSTIG/BOXXER

Riakporhe (17-0, 13 KO) also remained unblemished, but the 34-year-old chose a different path, slowly building his position in the world rankings.

“The Midnight Train” has five straight early wins, with the last three coming in four rounds, starting with a second-round body shot stoppage of Fabio Turchi in June 2022. Former world champion Krzysztof Głowacki was stopped in four rounds in early 2023, with Riakporhe last eliminated in November 2023, stopping Dylan Bregeon for two.
Riakporhe is in devastating shape (Photo: Lawrence Lustig / BOXXER)
Riakporhe is in devastating shape (Photo: Lawrence Lustig / BOXXER)
Chamberlain and Massey are fighting for European honors and the return of Ben Whittaker

The main support will also be provided by the cruiserweight category, where Isaac Chamberlain (16-2, 8 KO) will defend the Commonwealth belt in a fight against Jack Massey (21-2, 12 KO). There is also a vacant European champion title up for grabs.

Chamberlain lost in a thriller to Chris Billam-Smith in July 2022, but his latest performance proved impressive as he won the British and Commonwealth titles, scoring heavily with Mikael Lawal.

The Chamberlain vs. Lawal fight was one-sided (photo: Boxxer / Lawrence Lustig)
The Chamberlain vs. Lawal fight was one-sided (photo: Boxxer / Lawrence Lustig)

Massey lost to Richard Riakporhe for the vacant British belt in 2019 and lost a heavyweight decision to Joseph Parker in January last year, but has been out just once since then – a one-round stoppage win over Steve Ntere January.

The brilliant and brash Ben Whittaker (7-0, 5 KO) wins his first professional belt, and “The Surgeon” can claim the vacant IBF International lithe heavyweight title after defeating Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka (12-0, 10 KO).

The rest of the subcard

Dan Azeez (20-1, 13 KO) returns after a defeat to Joshua Buatsi, and the lithe heavyweight fighter should have an easier time scoring points against Croatian Hrvoje Sep (12-2, 9 KO).

Azeez will want to recover from Saturday's defeat to Buatsi (Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer)
Azeez will want to recover from Saturday’s defeat to Buatsi (Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer)

Fran Hennessy (3-0, 1 KO) will face Dorota Norek (7-4, 1 KO) for the first time in history in the bantamweight division.

Prospective cruiserweight Deevorn Miller (7-1, 5 KO) can win at the distance in the scheduled six-round fight with Edwin Mosquera (12-4-2, 6 KO).

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UK Boxing

Boxing fans furious after ‘terrible attack’ on Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight

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Many boxing fans were furious after Johnny Fisher secured a controversial victory over Dave Allen ahead of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Two of the three judges scored the fight in Fisher’s favor, even though Allen knocked him down and dominated most of the fight.

Romford Bull had a mighty start and clearly won the opening rounds, but Allen turned things around with a powerful right hand in the fifth. This caused Fisher to hit the canvas and he was lucky to avoid being stopped before the bell.

Allen was in great control for the rest of the fight, but the judges saw it differently, and Fisher inexplicably avoided the first loss of his professional career.

Fans on social media were left baffled by the controversial split decision, with @ATokkers5 posting on X (formerly Twitter): “This is an absolutely terrible robbery. Frightening. Johnny Fisher didn’t win this fight. I’m not a Dave Allen fan, but this is a disgraceful call.”

@johnny33black added: “Boxing can be awesome! This modern AI-powered grading system works better because it’s fucking disgusting. “No person in the world would give that to Johnny Fisher.”

@davidrice17 furious: “What the fuck is the point of boxing? Honestly, it’s no wonder everyone thinks this sport is a joke. Dave Allen won that fight by two or three rounds, everyone knows that, except the f*cking judges scored it.”

Even pop superstar Louis Tomlinson thought Allen did more than enough to win. He wrote: “What an incredible performance from Dave Allen, with so much at stake and under so much pressure. Completely robbed of judges. You were proud, buddy!”

Clamorous boos could be heard as the judges’ scorecards were read at Kingdom Arena in Riyad, while Allen looked surprised as he tried to understand the decision.

Sky Sports Box Office commentator Shane McGuigan said: “I thought it was very effortless to score. This is what boxing is all about, this is what business is all about.

“Close rounds, when you’re leaning towards a guy who’s selling five, six thousand tickets, sometimes those are the decisions that lean towards that player. I would be very, very, very disappointed if I were Dave Allen’s cornerback position.”

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UK Boxing

Mykhailo Mudryk appears in public for the first time since drugs did not support Oleksandr Usyk

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Mykhailo Mudryk was spotted in the crowd at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad ahead of Tyson Fury’s heavyweight rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

The Chelsea winger, who was temporarily suspended from football after failing a drug test, appears to be backing Usyk for the highly anticipated clash in Saudi Arabia.

He was spotted at ringside during the early fights on the undercard and will be hoping his fellow Ukrainian can handle the Gypsy King.

Usyk defends his WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles after defeating Fury on points earlier this year. If he secures another victory, his legacy as one of the best boxers in the world will be set in stone.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Mudryk had returned a “negative result” on a routine urine test. He is still waiting for the result of his “B” sample and if the result is positive, he could face a long ban.

He maintained his innocence, emphasizing that he had never knowingly broken any rules or taken any banned substances.

In a statement he said: “I can confirm that I have been notified that the sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance.

“It came as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules and I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I hope to be back on the pitch soon. “I can’t say more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will do so as soon as possible.”

As a result of his fleeting suspension, Mudryk will not be able to play for Chelsea in Sunday’s match against Everton. He is also unable to attend sessions at the Blues’ training center in Cobham.

Mudryk has played just 146 minutes in the Premier League this season, largely constrained to appearances in the Conference League, where he scored three goals in four games. He also played in the Carabao Cup twice.

If the “B” sample tests positive for any banned substances, Mudryk will likely face a sedate ban. Paul Pogba was initially banned for four years after returning a sample containing DHEA, a substance known to enhance testosterone levels.

After a successful appeal, the ban was finally shortened to 18 months, and the Frenchman will be able to play freely in matches from March next year.

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UK Boxing

The result of the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk match was decided after the fans’ verdict

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Boxing fans are rooting for Oleksandr Usyk to prevail over Tyson Fury in today’s heavyweight clash and potentially take the series 2-0.

The two first faced each other in a thrilling match in May this year, in which Usyk defeated “The Gypsy King” by split decision. With this victory, Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Even though he is the favorite to win again, many still believe Fury has the potential to displace the Ukrainian sensation.

Thousands of our readers cast their votes for the outcome of the fight, and there was a clear winner. Fifty-three percent of voters believe Usyk’s skills will defeat the “Gypsy King” and 45 percent believe the Briton will equalize the result in Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, given the expected closeness of the fight, only two percent of voters expect a draw. While most support the undefeated 37-year-old Ukrainian, Fury will certainly have something to say.

In a tight fight on Thursday evening, the Briton looked to issue a stern warning to his upcoming opponent. “He’s f–king, last time I was at 50 percent, you were the best you’ve ever been and yet you couldn’t do it,” he said. “You couldn’t do that.” *** All. Don’t be afraid, bunny, you look like shit. I won’t leave you alone. You ugly little son of a bitch. I’m killing you. You’ll wake up in the hospital, clown. You have a gift decision to make, clown. I’m a man, I’m a fucking champion.

“You ugly rat bastard. You are a rat. I will beat you seven days a week.” As for Usyk, the Ukrainian will once again be hoping to put on a show. He told Sky Sports: “I feel good. It’s round 13 because that’s how I feel. Tyson Fury also had a chance in the sixth, maybe seventh, maybe 12th, 11th, first, second round. But Tyson didn’t do that. It’s just a conversation. Tyson said I had a chance.

Meanwhile, Fury is backed by his promoter Frank Warren to fight unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch in Riyad. Fury left the event immediately after scoring a career-high 20 stone and 1 pound at the weigh-in, although he was fully clothed when he stepped on the scale and was wearing a massive leather jacket.

Usyk, the WBA, WBC and WBO champion who won the first fight by split decision, was also unclothed and weighed in at 16lb 2lb, the highest recorded. After the rivals stared down for 11 minutes and 20 seconds during Thursday’s head-to-head press conference, the final clash lasted just seconds before Fury turned around.

The 36-year-old then abruptly left, leaving Queensbury Promotions boss Warren to answer questions. “There will be war tomorrow (Saturday). That’s what it’s all about,” Warren said. “Tyson came to get these titles back, that’s why he’s here, that’s why he sacrificed a lot and I believe it will happen. You can analyze this however you want, the truth is that we will find out who is the best.

“And you know they both come to fight. This will be stimulating. When the first bell rings, they’ll get down to it and you’ll see something extra, extra special. In my opinion, it will happen (finish in the distance) – to Tyson’s advantage.”

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