Richard Riakporhe produced another frightening performance to demolish Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki in less than four rounds – and then called out prospective opponents after putting himself in the frame for a world title fight next.
Walworth’s Riakporhe, 33, stopped 36-year-old Glowacki with sixteen seconds left in the fourth to move his record to 16-0 on the undercard of the main event, when Liam Smith shocked Chris Eubank Jr.
Riakporhe knew he had to win at the AO Arena in Manchester to ensure he now gets a crack at a world belt in a compelling cruiserweight division.
After a slow start to the contest when both opponents were feeling each other out, Riakporhe landed a huge right in the second before moving in for the kill with a flurry of punches, only for Glowacki to survive into the third round.
Glowacki did respond with some good combinations but Riakporhe was still able to get through with that fierce right.
It was another massive right that proved decisive and as ‘The Midnight Train’ moved in to unload another barrage referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight with the Pole rocking on his feet.
Riakporhe revealed in the ring afterwards how confident he had been about a stoppage.
“I’m feeling good, I’m happy we got the job done in that fashion,” he said. “We wanted a knock-out victory and I predicted round three or four. There are some people who put some bets on because I told them in the gym last week, so they’re going to be happy!
“We’re on the train. Next stop? Next stop all the champions.”
“Jai Opetaia, I know you’re watching this. Trust me, we’re coming for you. [Ilunga] Makabu, you lot can’t run no more. [Lawrence] Okolie, [Arsen] Goulamirian, I know all of you lot and I think about you every day when I go to sleep.”
“Trust me, we’re coming for you.”
Okolie took six rounds to beat Glowacki in 2021, but Riakporhe wasn’t reading anything into his quicker finish.
He explained: “I never use Okolie as a reference, that I need to get [Glowacki] out before him, because I just feel like everybody’s got their different styles and everybody needs to focus on what they’re doing. When you try to compare, that’s when things can go pear-shaped.
“We’ve got the job done and that’s what we wanted and in that fashion.”
Riakporhe’s promoter, Ben Shalom of BOXXER, added: “He’s ready now, his power in both hands is ridiculous. Ridiculous. I thought that was a mature performance.
“Chris Billam-Smith is there – Richard wants everyone. I really believe we’ve got the hardest-hitting cruiserweight in the country right here. It’s world titles, it’s Lawrence Okolie, it’s Chris Billam-Smith. What a division we have. Richard Riakporhe, for me, could be top of the tree.”
Riakporhe defeated Billam-Smith, 32, on a split-decision in 2019 and both fighters are aiming to win world titles this year.
Surrey’s Billam-Smith was in the ring after Riakporhe’s victory, with both fighters showing each other the utmost respect.
Billam-Smith said: “I haven’t got a world title yet, I understand that. We both want world titles, we both need to go away and get a world title and make a huge fight. I think everyone would want to see that again.
“Both of us are coming off the back of stoppages and that makes for a great fight. It was a really good performance from Richard [Saturday], probably his best yet as a pro. Which is exciting for me, it adds extra spice to the challenge. I’m bang up for it.”