Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe Preview June 15th, 2024
WBO Cruiserweight Champion Chris Billam-Smith of Bournemouth, England will be defending his title for the second time when he takes on unbeaten fellow countryman Richard Riakporhe in London this Saturday, June 15th. The 12-rounder can be seen live in the UK on Sky Sports Action while fans in America can catch it on NBC’s Peacock network. Billam-Smith won the title in May, 2023 when he edged Lawrence Okolie by majority decision and then defended it in December when he stopped Mateusz Masternak after eight rounds. Riakporhe last boxed in November when he halted Dylan Bregeon in the second round. This is a rematch as Riakporhe beat Billam-Smith via a 10-round split decision in 2019 and also dropped him in the seventh round.
Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Chris Billam-Smith +200
- Richard Riakporhe -260
My Pick
The 33-year-old Billam-Smith makes his way to the ring with an impressive mark of 19-1 with 13 Ko’s and has 128 rounds of experience under his belt since turning pro in 2017. Before that he enjoyed a fine amateur career with a reported 32-11 record and fought in several English National Championships, making it to the Final in 2013 and 2016. He measures 6-feet-3-inches tall with a 75-inch reach and hasn’t lost since 2019.
Since turning pro, Billam-Smith stopped Craig Glover in the fifth round in 2019 for the vacant Commonwealth Cruiserweight Crown and then edged Tommy McCarthy by 12-round split decision to add the European and vacant British Titles in July, 2021. He stopped McCarthy in the the eighth round in April, 2022 in their rematch and also has wins over Isaac Chamberlain, Dylan Bregon, Nathan Thorley and Robin Dupre. Of course, the biggest win was his upset of Okolie last year in his hometown.
The lone defeat on Billam-Smith’s record came at the hands of Riakporhe by 10-round split decision in a shot at the WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title in July, 2019. As far as power goes, he has pretty good pop in his punches as 68.4 per cent of his wins have come by way of stoppage but he has gone the distance in five of his last eight fights. Billam-Smith also has a pretty solid chin to go along with the rest of his attributes.
The 34-year-old Riakporhe enters the ring with a perfect mark of 17-0 with 13 Ko’s and has boxed 77 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016. Riakporhe didn’t take up the sport until he was 19 years old but he captured the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight Belt in his eighth pro fight by stopping Sam Hyde in the eighth round. He defended it against Tommy McCarthy by fourth-round stoppage and Billam-Smith via a 10-round split decision.
Riakporhe added the vacant British Cruiserweight Title in December, 2019 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jack Massey. He’s fought exclusively in England against European level competition and took a step up in class against Krzysztof Glowacki last year and stopped him in the fourth round. He definitely has the size to succeed as a cruiserweight as he stands 6-feet-5-inches tall with a 77-inch reach, which gives him a two-inch edge in height and reach on the champion. Riakporhe also has quite a bit of power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 76.5 per cent with his last five wins coming by stoppage.
Prediction…
This is an interesting matchup as Billam-Smith is a tough customer with pretty good power and a steady chin but Riakporhe is bigger, has more power and has already beaten the champion five years ago. Billam-Smith has a ton of heart but isn’t really a refined or polished boxer when it comes to pure skill. He’s rather make it an ugly affair if possible. A victory by either boxer wouldn’t be much of an upset here but with Riakporhe fighting in his hometown and entering the bout with with momentum and confidence, I believe he’ll do enough to dethrone Billam-Smith.
Riakporhe has already beaten Billam-Smith once and will have the edge in confidence.
Play: Riakporhe -400 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Chris Billam-Smith betting • Richard Riakporhe betting