Billam-Smith outpoints Riakporhe to retain world title

Briton Chris Billam-Smith retained his WBO cruiserweight title pinch a ascendant points triumph complete compatriot Richard Riakporhe astatine Selhurst Park.

The Bournemouth combatant group nan gait and edged nan scoring successful a scrappy matter which connected occasions came live towards nan second rounds.

Londoner Riakporhe – fighting successful beforehand of 15,000 location fans successful an open-air stadium – was blameworthy of excessive holding passim and deducted a constituent successful nan 12th.

Billam-Smith, 33, was awarded a unanimous determination pinch scores of 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112.

He gained revenge for a points conclusion to Riakporhe successful 2019 – nan only blemish connected nan champion's 20-fight record.

"That was person than I thought," said Billam-Smith. "The correct man won. Rich is simply a awesome fighter."

'The Gentleman' said he is now targeting unification fights and would invited an distant time to Las Vegas next.

Riakporhe, 34, suffered a first profession conclusion successful his 18th pro fight, pinch his dream of winning a world title astatine nan location of his beloved Crystal Palace Football Club shattered.

Challenger Riakporhe walked to nan ringing donning a achromatic clothes sporting Palace's reddish and bluish colours, pinch nan Premier League side's manager, Oliver Glasner, successful attendance.

Billam-Smith has enjoyed awesome occurrence fighting successful beforehand of his Bournemouth faithful, but was competing connected distant ungraded for nan first clip successful 5 bouts and had to strengthen jeers arsenic he marched to nan middle.

He group a accelerated gait arsenic some boxers – contempt having already shared 10 rounds - figured each different retired successful a quiet opening.

Riakporhe was warned for holding, which became nan communicative of nan night, a debased rustle and usage of nan caput successful nan third.

Billam-Smith connected pinch a correct hook successful nan 4th and was edging nan rounds pinch his tidier work.

Celebrities from nan world of euphony - Ellie Goulding, Kano and Tinie Tempah - watched astatine ringside but nan conflict took clip to unrecorded up to its hype.

It unexpectedly came live successful nan eighth. Riakporhe was wounded by a counter-left hook but responded pinch a thudding correct earlier Billam-Smith ended nan information connected top.

Perhaps alert he needed a stoppage, nan fierce Riakporhe galore expected joined nan statement successful nan ninth.

A swinging correct knocked Billam-Smith's gumshield retired and nan champion was backed into nan area by an onslaught of near and correct punches.

But nan occurrence was short-lived and having been deducted a point, Riakporhe trim a deflated fig arsenic he walked backmost to his area astatine nan last bell.