By Declan Taylor
On June 15, Chris Billam-Smith is scheduled to protect his world cruiserweight championship against Richard Riakporhe.
The negotiations for the eagerly awaited rematch between the two British fighters have been lengthy and are still in progress.
And, although there is still no decision made on a venue, Boxing News understands that June 15 is currently the working date for the fight.
When Boxing News spoke to Ben Shalom a month ago, he said an announcement on the fight was imminent. Yet there is still no official confirmation.
However, it is certain that they will cross paths again on June 15, reliving their 2019 clash where Billam-Smith experienced his sole loss.
That night at the o2 Arena, Riakporhe emerged victorious with a split decision after 10 rounds, maintaining his unbeaten record. On the other hand, Billam-Smith went on to rebuild himself and secured the WBO cruiserweight title in his ninth fight following that event.
After triumphing with an eighth-round stoppage of Mateusz Masternak in December, he has now been granted a long-awaited opportunity to seek revenge against the London puncher.
At 34 years old, Riakporhe maintains an unblemished record of 17-0. He approaches the upcoming Billam-Smith match after securing victory in his last five bouts, all of which ended before the distance.
