Chris Oliver's ROI for the year is over 10% and our boxing guru has two selections for Saturday's action, headlined by Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday June 15
2pts Richard Riakporhe to win by stoppage at 7/4 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
1pt Gervonta Davis to win in rounds 7-12 at 13/8 (William Hill)
Five years after their first contest, Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe cross swords again at Selhurst Park on Saturday night.
The pair first met as unbeaten prospects on an undercard at London’s O2 Arena, when Riakporhe hand his hand raised via a split decision. There was very little between them in the first half of that 10-rounder, but the victor came on strong down the stretch and was a deserving winner.
However, Billam-Smith has flourished since that sole defeat on his record, and he ensures there is much more on the line for the return as he brings a world title to the table.
Among the 10 wins he has recorded since he last faced Riakporhe, Billam-Smith’s points victory over heavy favourite Lawrence Okolie to claim the WBO cruiserweight belt is the undoubted highlight. ‘The Gentleman’ dropped his former stablemate three times en route to an upset points win to inflict a first defeat on the previously unbeaten champion.
That win shows just how much Billam-Smith has improved since they last shared the ring, but so, too, has Riakporhe and he is a 4/9 favourite to repeat his victory from July 2019.
Riakporhe had nearly two years out after outpointing Jack Massey in December 2019 but has returned with six straight wins and the ‘The Midnight Train’ has stopped his last five opponents.
Eye-catching second-round victories over Fabio Turchi and Dylan Bregon last time out sandwich an impressive fourth-round stoppage of former champion Krzysztof Glowacki, and few hit harder than Riakporhe in the 200lb division.
While a lot has happened since their first encounter, the tactical conundrum remains the same for both men. Riakporhe’s power is on the end of his shots, and he will want to keep this at range as he looks to make the most of his long levers, while Billam-Smith will be keen to close the distance and fight on the inside where he does his best work.
Billam-Smith is a perennial underdog and being a 2/1 outsider won’t bother him in the slightest, but the fact he doesn’t have the backing of his passionate fans in Bournemouth may do. He has become a big draw on the south coast and the enthusiastic crowd helped him to his crowning moment against Okolie at a packed Vitality Stadium.
The roles are reversed here, with Riakporhe enjoying home advantage in the stadium of the football team he supports, and it remains to be seen whether Billam-Smith can reach similar heights without the noisy backing of his large fanbase.
On paper, there is very little between these two and a good case can be made for both men winning, but there are a few factors that cause me to favour the challenger to make it two-nil against the champion.
Despite being a year younger at 33, Billam-Smith is older in fighting terms, and he has more miles on the clock than his opponent. His desire to get up close and his willingness to take one to land one has meant he has endured plenty of gruelling nights in a 20-fight career, whereas Riakporhe has received nowhere near as much punishment and looks much the fresher of the two.
Billam-Smith has advertised just how good his chin is on plenty of occasions, including walking through bombs from big punchers like Okolie and Riakporhe, so the formbook points towards Riakporhe winning by decision (15/8) if he is to come out on top against his old rival. However, it is his reliance on his ability to take a good shot that has seen Billam-Smith take plenty of heavy shots over the years and at some point, that is going to catch up with him.
Tmrw night under the South London lights at @CPFC@ChrisBillam vs @R_Riakporhe
— Andy Clarke (@MrAndyClarke) June 14, 2024
It won't be for the faint hearted.
630pm on Sky Sports Action pic.twitter.com/fDYvrDKgss
There were signs of that being the case in his last outing against Mateusz Masternak, who seemingly couldn’t miss with his right hand as he opened up a big lead on the scorecards by the halfway mark. Billam-Smith got away with one on that occasion as his veteran opponent retired on his stool after seven rounds due to a rib injury, but it’s very hard to see Riakporhe letting him off the hook if he’s in a similar position.
You could never describe Billam-Smith as elusive but the ease with which Masternak found the target was very alarming for the champion and he simply can’t afford to take as many right hands this weekend.
Riakporhe carries serious power and while he is economical with his output, the Londoner is explosive when he does let his hands go. He is the bigger and physically stronger of the two, something which was evident in their first fight when Billam-Smith received a count in the seventh round and was also badly hurt in the 10th session.
Riakporhe looks sure to have his man reeling again at some point in their return and this time I fancy him to get the stoppage at 7/4.
Tank to rumble on
Later in the night, GERVONTA DAVIS makes his eagerly awaited return against Frank Martin in Las Vegas.
It’s been 14 months since we last saw Davis, who stopped Ryan Garcia with a body shot in the seventh round of their blockbuster. That victory should have launched him into being a genuine superstar in the sport but, once again, a period of inactivity followed for the Baltimore southpaw.
Martin is a worthy challenger for the WBA lightweight title, with a perfect 18-fight record, 12 of those victories coming inside the distance. He’s a tidy boxer, with good speed and accuracy, but this is a big step up for him and it’s hard to see him pulling off a 6/1 surprise against one the sport's most talented fighters.
A 1/6 favourite, Davis likes to take his time and may well give away some early rounds, but he has dynamite in both hands and is extremely spiteful when he sees an opening. Davis has made a habit of spoiling unbeaten records, and he is fancied to do so again here, possibly in the second half of the fight.
Posted at 1320 BST on 14/06/24
