Chris Billam-Smith defends world title after defeating Richard Riakporhe on points

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Chris Billam-Smith triumphantly defended his WBO world cruiserweight championship title by winning a clear-cut unanimous verdict against Richard Riakporhe at Selhurst Park of Crystal Palace.

The man who goes by "The Gentleman" got revenge on his loss by split decision against Riakporhe in 2019. He was too strong this time in their rematch, winning with a score of 116-111, 115-112, 115-112.

Billam-Smith, a supporter of Bournemouth, showed great resilience while playing away and thwarted any chances of Riakporhe using his powerful shots, thereby boosting his chances of competing for a title unification fight.

During the week leading to the fight, Billam-Smith insinuated that coach Shane McGuigan had come up with a strategy for Riakporhe, and that became evident in the opening round. CBS didn't retreat during the initial exchanges, causing Riakporhe to take a defensive stance in an attempt to diminish the impact of his powerful right hand.

Billam-Smith enjoyed the intense clashes and utilized every chance to agitate Riakporhe in close quarters. Although it was not an aesthetically pleasing tactic, it proved to be successful in disrupting Riakporhe's flow, resulting in no substantial strikes landed by the end of the second round.

By the fourth round, Riakporhe was showing no signs of picking up speed. The man from south London seemed to have lost all momentum, and his strategy of relying heavily on clinches was taking the energy out of the crowd at Selhurst Park. With each passing moment, he was falling further behind on the scorecards.

The referee had to intervene numerous times per round during the fight, which lasted until the halfway mark. This was similar to the boxing bout between Billam-Smith and Lawrence Okolie in May last year, where Okolie lost points for excessive clinching.

As exhaustion increased, it seemed like Riakporhe's possibilities were diminishing. He started to throw his right fist with little precision, but he managed to have a successful period during the seventh round with a sudden burst of energy.

During the ninth round, Midnight Train showcased their skills by delivering a series of strong power shots that truly put the champion to the test. Using a straight right, Riakporhe pushed Billam-Smith towards the ropes, causing the Bournemouth boxer to feel uncertain for the first time in the match.

Riakporhe became exhausted and returned to his previous negative patterns. As a result, he was penalized a point in the final round, essentially securing Billam-Smith's well-earned win.