Last Saturday (June 15) was a bustling night for boxing, starting from London and making its way to Las Vegas, with Puerto Rico in the middle.
Cruiserweight, light heavyweight, super-lightweight, and lightweight divisions witnessed intense battles where world titles were up for grabs, and the reputations of fighters were on the line. The victorious fighters, namely Chris Billam-Smith, Jack Massey, David Benavidez, Gervonta Davis, and Liam Paro, are rightfully praised for their triumphs. However, one cannot help but wonder about the prospects and possibilities that lie ahead for those unfortunate enough to end up on the losing side of these encounters.
Saturday night’s events were not the end of the line for the beaten Richard Riakporhe, Isaac Chamberlain, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Frank Martin and Subriel Matias but the quintet will be still have the sour taste of defeat inside them 48 hours removed from their fights.
Boxing News looks at what could be next for the five men on the losing side and we begin with “The Midnight Train” Richard Riakporhe. Cool and confident in the run-up to his WBO cruiserweight world title challenge against Chris Billam-Smith the night proved to be something of a disaster for Riakporhe.
In the photo captured by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images, Riakporhe can be seen attempting to make an impact on the reigning champion, Chris Billam-Smith.
At Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, the 34-year-old fighter found himself in familiar territory. He confidently made his way to the ring, donning a robe in the colors of Palace, with loyal fans cheering him on. The bookmakers had placed him as the clear favorite to claim the championship title. However, the reigning champion had a different plan in mind. Despite being known as “The Gentleman,” he appeared in an intimidating black attire, exuding an aura of invincibility that suggested he would not be defeated throughout the match.
Billam-Smith sought revenge after his sole defeat to Riakporhe in 2019. With the guidance of his trainer, Shane McGuigan, the Bournemouth fighter devised a clever gameplan that left Riakporhe unable to respond effectively due to his one-dimensional approach. Despite Riakporhe’s knockout power, Billam-Smith skillfully outboxed, suffocated, and outsmarted his opponent. Even when faced with impactful punches, Billam-Smith remained resilient and absorbed the damage.
Riakporhe’s defeat was a humbling experience, forcing him and his trainer Angel Fernandez to reevaluate their strategies. Despite signing a contract extension with Boxxer and being an early addition to their roster, Riakporhe still has potential for a successful future. However, his loss as the mandatory challenger for the WBO will impact his world ranking. Nevertheless, there are plenty of opportunities for him in a division where fights are readily available.
Former Billam-Smith opponent Mateusz Masternak could be a worthwhile exercise for Riakporhe whose firepower would likely be too much for the Polish veteran. Former world champion Mairis Briedis is an attractive option but would not come cheap. Cuban entertainer Yuniel Dorticos would be one half of a fan friendly fight if he were to say yes as would Callum Johnson who is going about his business quietly having returned to the sport.
If Riakporhe has struggled with the weight and can no longer do the 200lbs limit then a move to Bridgerweight may be on the cards before a logical jump to heavyweight. The much maligned division recently welcomed Lawrence Okolie to their ranks who quickly became WBC champion with his Polish demolition job on Lukasz Rozanski. Riakporhe and Okolie are not just rivals but two men who don’t like the sight of one another and nearly came to blows in February 2023 at the London premiere of Creed III. A professional fight between the two may look good on paper but may be a tough sell to Boxxer’s broadcast partner Sky Sports.
In this photo captured by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images, Chamberlain (L) can be seen engaging in action against Massey.
Another of Selhurst Park’s beaten fighters were Isaac Chamberlain who may be another cruiserweight alternative for Riakporhe having lost to Jack Massey during their European and Commonwealth cruiserweight contest.
Throughout the week, Chamberlain made deliberate attempts to provoke Massey, all the while insisting that he was simply being true to himself. However, on the night of the fight, Chamberlain’s strategy backfired as he fell into Massey’s trap, repeatedly getting caught both from a distance and at close range. Chamberlain attempted to dictate the pace of the fight, and although he managed to inflict some occasional damage on Massey in the latter half, it was evident that Massey was the superior fighter overall and fully deserved his victory.
The defeat is Chamberlain’s third having lost to Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith previously. There is no shame in losing to fighters of those and Massey’s calibre but the Brixton fighter would have been heading in the direction of a world title shot had he won on Saturday night. The natural fight for him now would be to face Viddal Riley who has made enough noise recently about facing Chamberlain and may now get his chance. Ellis Zorro – who has lost two on the bounce to quality opposition in Jai Opetaia and Cheavon Clarke – should also be considered.
Across the pond Frank Martin’s first move to elite level ended painfully with a crushing eighth round knockout defeat to Gervonta “Tank” Davis who retained his WBA lightweight title in the process.
The skilful and athletic Martin made a promising start in the first three rounds but began to find himself on the ropes too often much to the delight of Davis who then unloaded his world-class power punches. At 29 and with just one loss on his record Martin can unquestionably come again but the leading men at 135lbs are scattered across various promotional companies meaning Martin may have to continue to play second fiddle. However, there are choices closer to home in the Premier Boxing Champion stable including Chris Colbert, Javier Fortuna or even the polarising Rolando Romero who lost to “Tank” two years ago.
Before Martin and Davis stepped into the ring for their main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk were on hand to provide a worthy looking chief support contest at light heavyweight.
Benavidez’s fight at 175lbs marked his debut in the weight class, as he had previously delayed his pursuit of becoming the undisputed super-middleweight champion against Canelo Alvarez. Despite entering the ring on Saturday with several injuries, he skillfully managed the formidable challenge posed by his Ukrainian opponent, ultimately securing a unanimous decision victory and claiming the WBC interim title.
After his second defeat, what lies ahead for Gvozdyk (R)? (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Gvozdyk, despite his age of 37, did not appear to be an easy opponent for Benavidez on Saturday night. Although the former WBC light heavyweight champion endured numerous powerful shots, he absorbed them well and managed to land successful punches of his own. As the fight progressed, Gvozdyk even seemed to have more energy than his opponent. However, despite his efforts, he never seemed to have a real chance of winning the match.
Despite having two defeats on his record against Benavidez and the top-ranked light-heavyweight Artur Beterbiev, “The Nail” still demonstrates a strong fighting spirit. After coming out of a three-year and four-month retirement, Gvozdyk triumphed in three consecutive fights against Josue Obando, Ricards Bolotniks, and Isaac Rodrigues. It was after these victories that he decided to challenge Benavidez.
Britain’s Callum Smith – who himself lost to Beterbiev in January – against Gvozdyk is an intriguing prospect if both men were to carry on in the sport. Gvozdyk will want to continue fighting at the highest level possible which could bring Smith, Anthony Yarde and Marcus Browne to the table. Gvozdyk’s ultimate goal was to challenge the winner of Beterbiev against Dmitry Bivol but Saturday was a case of one step back however the former Olympic medallist is capable of moving forward once again.
In front of his home fans, Matias suffered a defeat, relinquishing his world title to Liam Paro (Photo credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom).
Meanwhile in Puerto Rico the reputation of Subriel Matias took a thump when Australia’s unbeaten Liam Paro walked into the lion’s den and walked out as IBF super-lightweight champion. A successful first six rounds for Paro had Matias up against it and the home favourite could do little to shift the steely Aussie who was not going to be denied.
Signed to Matchroom there aren’t a shortage of options for Matias. The likelihood is we see him return on one of Eddie Hearn’s American shows later in the year. Stable-mate Regis Prograis could be an attractive proposition if the beaten champion wants to go back in with another classy operator or perhaps we see the 32-year-old face an opponent like Sergey Lipinets who could be made for him. Ireland’s Sean McComb – who was desperately unlucky to lose to Arnold Barboza in April – may have the wrong style for Matias but the Puerto Rican would surely fancy his chances of winning. Either way his reputation as one of boxing’s most dangerous men is currently in flames and the fire needs to be put out promptly.
