The announcement of Richard Riakporhe being included on the undercard of the upcoming main event between Adam Azim and Franck Petitjeana, scheduled for November 18th, raises concerns about the actions of his promoter, Boxxer. Riakporhe is set to face Frenchman Dylan Bregeon at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton.
There appears to be a concerted effort by Boxxer to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, leaving their fighters to bear the brunt of criticism. This trend is evident from a prior article discussing Richard Riakporhe’s (16-0, 12 KO’s) withdrawal from a purse bid against Jai Opetai (23-0, 18 KO’s). The recent announcement of his fight with Dylan Bregeon (13-4-1, 3 KO’s) further suggests that Boxxer has no intention of challenging their own fighters.
After pulling out of a potential fight with Jai Opetaia, Richard Riakporhe hinted at the possibility of fighting a world champion in his next bout. However, this claim now appears to be false as he is expected to fight Dylan Bregeon, a French cruiserweight, next week on Saturday.
Moreover, Riakporhe is not even headlining the event; he’s fighting a contender who is coming off a loss. Despite these circumstances, Riakporhe still proudly proclaims to be the #1 WBO cruiserweight contender.
“A lot has happened since I’ve been away, but on November 18, I am back and reminding everyone why I am the No 1 contender in this division,” Riakporhe stated to Sky Sports.
“I take every single fight as seriously as possible because I’m right at the line of a world title fight. I’m No 1 with the WBO, and after this fight, I’m taking all of that, I’m fighting for a world title.“
These statements by Riakporhe are perplexing because he had voluntarily withdrawn from a fight against IBF and The Ring champion Jai Opetaia earlier this year. Now, he claims he will be fighting for a world title after his bout with Bregeon.
The current WBO cruiserweight champion is Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KO’s), who is also promoted by Boxxer.
Given these circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Boxxer may have initially intended for Riakporhe to face Billam-Smith, rather than Opetaia. However, their handling of the situation has been questionable, including engaging in a purse bid with Opetaia only to withdraw, seemingly to maneuver Riakporhe into a fight with Billam-Smith by pitting him against a contender who is not at the top of the division.
Ben Shalom, the chairman of Boxxer, appears to be at the forefront of these decisions. Fighters from his stable are seemingly matched against significant opponents only to be withdrawn when negotiations or purse bids come into play.
This may be a tactic to promote Boxxer’s fighters by linking them with opponents of similar stature, all while never actually intending for them to face the opponents they were expected to fight. A similar case is seen with Frazer Clarke (8-0, 6 KO’s), who was initially expected to face British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley (17-0, 16 KO’s). However, he withdrew from the purse bid to fight Wardley and has since fought twice in a span of 3-4 months without arranging a fight with Wardley.
These actions by promoter Ben Shalom, while not necessarily illegal, are questionable and lack transparency. They do a disservice to the sport of boxing, as fighters like Riakporhe and Clarke, who have earned recognition in British boxing, are used to sell fights under the pretense of elite opponents while facing fringe contenders.
If Boxxer had always intended for Riakporhe to fight for the WBO title, which previously belonged to another Boxxer stablemate, Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KO’s), before his loss to Billam-Smith, they could have been forthright about the process instead of wasting the time of Jai Opetaia and his team by engaging in a purse bid and subsequently pulling out.
It is challenging to determine whether Boxxer is being disingenuous or merely avoiding transparency. Regardless, their fighters face criticism for these actions, and it’s unclear why these fighters appear to be unable to challenge their own promotion’s decisions, which have derailed their careers. Riakporhe and Clarke both had the opportunity to compete for world titles or move up significantly up the ladders of their divisions but appear to have let these opportunities slip through their fingers at their promotion’s behest.
