Rampaging Riakporhe Fav to Win WBO Title
Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe Boxing Odds
Chris Billam-Smith puts his WBO cruiserweight title on the line against unbeaten rising star Richard Riakporhe.
Saturday’s fight at Selhurst Park is an important fight for British boxing, and 23 have the title holder as an underdog.
It’s strange to see the title holder at +185, but the hype around Riakporhe in top rank boxing is strong.
Billam-Smith Can’t Be Underrated
There isn’t much respect with boxing bets for Billam-Smith, who isn’t fancied to return his WBO title.
The 33-year-old Brit defeated Lawrence Okolie in 2023, which was an incredible win. Okolie was 19-0 at the time, and considered one of the rising stars of the sport, much like Riakporhe. He then backed it up with a victory over Mateusz Masternak in December, and he has had six months to prepare for this fight.
He hits hard, and he forced Masternak to retire due to a rib injury. The +185 underdog with Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe boxing odds is better than most give him credit for, and he doesn’t know how to quit. However, his lone career loss came to Riakporhe in 2019. He lost via a split decision when Riakporhe was 9-0, so that could play on his mind.
We believe both fighters have improved since then, but Billam-Smith is the only fighter with a world belt around his waist, so that comes with respect.
With the latest boxing news, he believes he’ll be ready for the fight.
“It’s a huge fight. I’m a football fan, I’m at another football stadium. When I finish my career, I’ll be able to say I won a world title in Bournemouth, defended it at Selhurst Park – that’s pretty special for me,” Billam-Smith said.
“That gives me goosebumps. There’s that siege mentality. Let’s go. I love it, because I’ll be the underdog heading into this fight as well.”
Riakporhe Steamrolling Opponents
The challenger hasn’t been tested against the best in the world, so this is a step up despite owning a win over Billam-Smith four years ago. However, his recent wins have been impressive, and he has enough power to claim the first world title of his career.
The 34-year-old made Dylan Bregeon’s corner throw in the towel after just one round in November, which showcased his devastating power.
He also knocked out Fabio Turchi and Krzyztof Glowacki in rounds four and two respectively, so he hasn’t had to do much boxing over the last couple of years.
That could make the difference against Billam-Smith, who has been fully tested in recent fights, and fatigue could play its part.
He believes Billam-Smith has improved since their 2019 meeting, and he’s not looking at this fight in the same light.
“We’ve put the past victory where it is, in the past, and we’ve wiped down the whiteboard and focused on the new task ahead,” Riakporhe said. “Chris Billam-Smith has improved and he’s not the same fighter as before. To be fair, I think we’ve approached it like any other fight.”
Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe boxing odds have him at -225, which is a short price. However, there is a fair amount of betting confidence for the challenger, who looks well-placed to retain his unbeaten record.
Going 2-0 Against the Champion
Riakporhe has beaten Billam-Smith once, so he’s good enough to beat him again.
He doesn’t have the same level of experience as the champion, so getting +185 for Billam-Smith is a fair price. However, Riakporhe is trending in the right direction, and about it’s about time he won a major fight.
His power advantage is evident, and he only needs to maintain his energy levels if the fight goes deep.
That’s our only concern, considering his last three fights lasted a combined seven rounds. However, he could score a big knockout win early, which pays +160, and that’s also worth including in boxing picks.
Most of the money should come for Riakporhe. He’s an attractive wager, and unbeaten fighters with 13 wins by knockout are always going to be well-backed in betting markets.
For Boxing betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
