Richard Riakporhe: Lawrence Okolie will want a knockout to beat Chris Billam-Smith on Saturday | Boxing Information

Cruiserweight contender Richard Riakporhe needs to struggle the Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith winner later this yr.

In his Bournemouth hometown on Saturday, Billam-Smith challenges Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight world title, stay on Sky Sports activities.

Riakporhe, who has beforehand boxed Billam-Smith and has already developed a heated rivalry with Okolie himself, has established himself as cruiserweight contender, significantly together with his dominant win over Krzysztof Glowacki in January.

He has positioned himself for a world title shot and would relish taking it towards a rival Briton in 2023. He can be ringside when Billam-Smith and Okolie struggle on the Vitality Stadium, able to name out the victor.

“I am actually to see who’s going to return out the winner as a result of I am planning to struggle the winner a while this yr,” Riakporhe informed Sky Sports activities Information.

“I imagine I can beat each of them on the identical night time, each of them by knockout.

“I am not planning to go 12 rounds I am telling you that.”

He in actual fact believes that Okolie will want a knockout to beat Billam-Smith in Bournemouth.

“He is aware of he has to return there and actually placed on a giant efficiency and to be sincere he will need to go for a knockout, he will want a knockout to ensure,” Riakporhe mentioned.

“I feel if it goes the gap Chris Billam-Smith will come out on high on factors. I feel he’ll win on factors, me personally.”

Riakporhe defined: “I feel it will be a tough one and the rationale why, his former coach [Shane McGuigan] is coaching Chris Billam-Smith which makes it much more fascinating.

“He’ll know the entire weaknesses and easy methods to exploit that together with his man Chris Billam-Smith. So I am actually to see how this pans out.

“For [Okolie] to win this struggle, he will need to knockout Chris Billam-Smith, take it in his arms, do not go away it within the judges’ arms. I feel that is probably the most clever factor to do. However on the identical time it is simpler mentioned than executed.

“They’ve undoubtedly obtained a plan, Shane McGuigan and Barry McGuigan are very clever, they arrive with good methods for the fighters and I feel Chris Billam-Smith is the person for the job. He can do it. He can take pictures, he can provide it, he can dish it out.”

Okolie solely defended his title in March and so needed to go straight into an eight-week coaching camp. Riakporhe believes this struggle is coming too quickly for him and that Okolie has put himself below strain.

“He hasn’t given himself plenty of time to rectify his faults. Within the final struggle he was doing the identical factor – plenty of punching and holding from spherical one. I feel he will get penalised,” Riakporhe mentioned.

“Within the final struggle he obtained one level deducted and if Shane McGuigan and Chris Billam-Smith provide you with a good plan and he begins to carry from early and he will get deducted three factors, three warnings, that is it, I feel he would truly lose.

“I feel that they’re going to undoubtedly ensure that he isn’t doing any holding as a result of Lawrence Okolie’s recognized for holding after he throws his punches.

“I am guessing that they’ve undoubtedly protested that to the referee to ensure that would not occur. That is going to go away [Okolie] at a drawback as a result of he is gained plenty of fights doing hitting and holding, hitting and grabbing kind of favor.

“Respect to Lawrence Okolie, he is put plenty of strain on himself and I feel it will be more durable than he has truly envisioned.”

Don’t miss Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Showcase from 7pm on Saturday night.