‘He’s in for a shock’: Billam-Smith sees first Riakporhe fight as ‘irrelevant’

Chris Billam-Smith expects to stop Richard Riakporhe on Saturday.

Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe meet for a second time on Saturday in London, nearly five years after their first meeting.

Riakporhe won the first meeting by split decision over 10 rounds. This time around, Billam-Smith (19-1, 13 KO) is defending the WBO cruiserweight title on the back of 10 straight victories, while Riakporhe (17-0, 13 KO) is trying to win his first world title.

Billam-Smith sees their first fight as “irrelevant” all this time later.

“I’m different in so many ways,” Billam-Smith said at Thursday’s press conference. “It’s so irrelevant as I almost see me as a different person and almost see myself as if it was 20 years ago.

“All the experience I’ve had of world championship fights, caps and headlining the big shows — I will use all that experience and go there and perform. I believe I’ll stop him inside the distance. He’s in for a shock.”

Riakporhe will have home field in London, with the fight taking place at Selhurst Park, the home ground of Crystal Palace.

“It’s a privilege, to have that south London support where we can resonate with each other, it’s bred us and it’s conditioned us for these moments, given us a different type of mentality,” Riakporhe said.

“It’s why we say we’re cut from a different cloth. I get random people saying, ‘Rich, I know you’ll do it,’ because once we get these opportunities we take them with both hands. I’m very excited, I’ve been waiting for a very long time, I’m hungry and ready to challenge and take this title, then win some more.”

Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe 2 will stream live on Peacock in the United States, and air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.