Big-punching Palace contender: Get to know Richard Riakporhe
With just a week to go until the massive World Title fight night at Selhurst Park, it’s time to get to know the contender: Richard Riakporhe…
Born in south London, Riakporhe was a football fanatic from as early as he can remember, growing up on the Aylesbury Estate – but his long dream of performing on the big stage at Selhurst Park was almost snuffed out at a tragically early age.
At just 15-years-old, he was stabbed outside a house party and required emergency surgery to save his life. It was a life-changing experience, but one he could only really comprehend after the passing of time.
“Later on, I explored the seriousness of the stabbing and I realised could’ve been dead – a lot who had suffered that same stabbing had passed,” he told the Palace website back in 2020.
“I went on holiday to Thailand to explore a new culture and I became a bit more sophisticated. I realised there’s a better quality of life if you make the right decisions and I changed my environment.
“I wanted to live better, do better, make my parents proud and help people in my community.”
At 19-years-old, he began boxing, a relatively late start for a man who would go on to fight for a World Title. His professional debut came seven years later, beating Jason Jones in York Hall in Bethnal Green, a far cry from the venues he has packed out since.
Since then he has won all 17 of his professional fights, 13 by knockout, including fights at Wembley Arena and the O2 – often walking out to ‘Glad All Over’ as a nod to his love for Crystal Palace.
Now, he is fulfilling a dream of fighting at Selhurst Park – performing at the stage he always dreamt of stepping on to as a young child.
“I grew up in the Aylesbury Estate in south-east London, just off Elephant and Castle,” he said. “My dream was to be a footballer from the very beginning – I always wanted to play for Palace.
“It was nice and local. A few of my friends played for Palace as well in secondary school, so that was my dream. One thing led to another, and I lost the desire to play football.
“I was looking for another sport to compete in, and I found boxing – or boxing found me – and now we’re here.
“The thing about Crystal Palace is that it’s a family club. When you come here, everyone supports each other, and that’s what it’s all about. That’s the first thing you learn about Palace fans.
“They’re very loyal, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
You can get down to Selhurst Park to support Riakporhe as he aims to claim the WBO Cruiserweight World Title from Chris Billam-Smith on Saturday, 15th June.
General admission tickets are now on sale here** - prices start from just £30, with a percentage of the profits from the evening going towards Palace for Life Foundation.**
Alternatively, make the night one to remember and watch from one of our premium lounges. Enquire now to speak to our dedicated team.
The bouts will also be shown live and exclusive on Sky Sports.
The show forms the first major event in Selhurst’s centenary celebrations, with August 2024 marking 100 years since the official opening of the home of Crystal Palace F.C.
Legends of the sport have previously fought at Palace’s home ground, including International Boxing Hall of Fame member Len Harvey, who overcame British Empire champion Frank Moody in 1929 to set up a shot at the British title.