Chris “Biram” Smith claimed revenge by defeating British rival Richard Liakporhe by unanimous decision in their WBO cruiserweight world title defence at Selhurst Park, completing a successful title defence and denying the British boxer a dream return.
The reigning champions produced a calculated and controlled performance to neutralise their opponents and spoil Riakporge’s party at Crystal Palace’s home ground.
It was not only a title defence but also sweet revenge for “The Gentleman”, who had suffered the only defeat of his career five years earlier in a close decision against Riakporje, but this time he won beyond doubt with 116-111, 115-112, 115-112 results.
The pre-match chatter centred around who had improved more since the first game, with Biram Smith adamant that he had become a totally different player since 2019. And Liakporhe was soon to realise just how right he was.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Really happy with the performance.”
“Experience, speed and game plan” made the difference, he explained.
“Forget all the preparation,” he continued, “I have a lot of respect for Richard. He’s a great fighter. He just needed a bit more experience and he’ll learn from it.”
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Biram Smith praised his “master” trainer Shane McGuigan after sticking to his game plan to beat Liakporhe.
Riakporhe looked calm amid the chaos, using his jab to great effect in the early exchanges and probing the space with two dangerous right punches that would elicit gasps from the expectant crowd.
Billam-Smith found his rhythm in the second round, forcing Liakporhe against the ropes with his first onslaught. This quickly became a theme in the opening minutes as the pair continued to tangle in the ring.
Billam Smith celebrates defending his title
An ill-timed right hand from Liakporhe drew a warning and gave Biram Smith an opportunity, but his counterattack with a right hand was avoided.
Riakporhe underlined his power with a solid left hook as both fighters retreated to the ropes and the bout hit a somewhat ugly lull with neither man able to land any meaningful combinations.
The battle of attrition continued into the fourth round as the two fighters traded heavy body shots, but Billam-Smith reminded us just how tough he is as he dodged a right hook.
Billam-Smith began landing clean shots with a sharp jab, but Liakporhe was the more hesitant of the two, appearing to wait for the decisive blow that would break his opponent’s vaunted tenacity.
By the seventh round, Billam Smith was firmly in control as the busier and more accurate fighter, and Liakporhe was becoming frustrated with how the fight was going as another attack from his corner just didn’t land.
Billam-Smith took control of the bout in the eighth round with a hook that rocked Liakporhe, who hung in the corner of the ring. “Midnight Train” tried to fight back with a big right punch, but was again thwarted by Billam-Smith’s powerful chin.
Realising he was on the losing side, Riakporhe eased up on his attack in the closing stages and landed some powerful right punches, but his momentum was halted by an accidental low blow from the challenger.
The champion’s experience paid off immediately as Billam-Smith capped off the best performance of his career with two flawless final rounds, but the victory was made all-or-nothing after Riakporhe was penalized a point for using his head in a hold.