Currently, Richard Riakporhe is facing an outpouring of criticism for apparently pulling out of a scheduled fight. In a vaguely worded statement released on Tuesday, August 8th, Riakporhe acknowledged his withdrawal from the purse bids that were meant to set up a match against Jai Opetaia—a move likely initiated by his own promoter, Boxxer.
While it might be tempting to solely place blame on Richard Riakporhe (16-0, 12 KO’s), this incident isn’t the first time a Boxxer fighter has withdrawn from a fight. The distinction between Riakporhe’s situation and the one involving Frazer Clarke (7-0, 5 KO’s), who also withdrew from purse bids, lies in the differing responses. Unlike Clarke’s situation, where the promoter seemed to bear the brunt of criticism, Riakporhe is now at the center of the backlash. It’s worth noting that both instances likely involve the same promoter, Ben Shalom, who presumably orchestrated these actions.
In the first quarter of this year, Shalom pulled Frazer Clarke out of a fight with Fabio Wardley on the same day that purse bids were held. Given this recurring theme involving Riakporhe and Jai Opetaia (22-0, 17 KO’s), it’s not a stretch to conclude that Shalom may have interfered once again. Riakporhe himself released a statement to shed light on the matter.
It’s highly plausible that Riakporhe didn’t unilaterally decide to withdraw. Ben Shalom hypotheticall admitting he withdrew his fighter from the bout due to the potential for both the promoter and the fighter to earn more money might come across as too candid for the often complex world of the modern day boxing indutry.
A more convenient approach seems to be to lay the blame on the fighter, while simultaneously sidestepping accountability for a decision that was likely the promoter’s own maneuver. This sort of approach would only make sense given the backlash Shalom received for pulling Frazer Clarke out of the purse bids to face British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KO’s).
While everything mentioned regarding Shalom remains speculative, there’s very little likelihood that Riakporhe would independently choose to withdraw from purse bids. Promoters are typically deeply involved and accountable for all actions leading up to and during purse bids.
Should it indeed come to light that Ben Shalom is shifting blame onto his fighter for decisions he orchestrated, it showcases a particularly unscrupulous facet of a promoter’s behavior—one that’s willing to let his fighters suffer in order to protect his own reputation.
In response to Riakporhe’s and Boxxer’s withdrawal from the purse bids, Jai Opetaia’s promoter has issued a statement that notably highlights Boxxer’s role in pushing for the purse bids in the first place, only to ultimately retract on the same day the purse bids were set to occur.
In essence, this situation underscores a disturbing blend of ineptitude and deception on Ben Shalom’s part. It’s baffling behavior, not only initiating the purse bids in the first place but potentially orchestrating his fighter’s withdrawal and leaving him to shoulder the blame. While direct involvement may be challenging to prove, Shalom’s prior involvement in Frazer Clarke’s case provides ample indication that he played a significant role in the events leading to this withdrawal from purse bids.
