27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Meet Richard Riakporhe - Career cruiserweight making heavyweight debut as late arrival to Canelo-Scull card
It will be a weekend of firsts for Richard Riakporhe this weekend when he takes on Kevin Nicolas Espindola in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Canelo-Scull.
Not only will it be the Londoner's first bout outside of the United Kingdom, but it will also mark Riakporhe's debut at heavyweight. Having waited for some time to make his bow above the 200lb mark, Riakporhe's clash with the Argentinian Espindola is a late addition to the Riyadh card.
Fans will recognise the names of Canelo Alvarez, William Scull, Martin Bakole, and Badou Jack – all in action on Saturday – but Riakporhe may be an unfamiliar face to many, despite a world title bid last year.
Here we take a look at the man they call the 'Midnight Train'.
Richard Riakporhe's undefeated record ended in bout for world title
Although not a household name, Riakporhe has established himself as one of Britain's best cruiserweights, ranking highly in the conversation containing names such as Chris Billam-Smith, Lawrence Okolie, and Jack Massey.
Born in London and raised in Southwark, Riakporhe took up boxing relatively late, first donning the gloves at 19. Alongside his amateur career, the Londoner continued his studies, going on to earn a degree in marketing from Kingston University in 2015.
A year after completing his studies, Riakporhe entered the professional ranks, quickly building both momentum and an impressive record, boasting 13 knockouts.
In June 2024, Riakporhe welcomed Billam-Smith to Selhurst Park, the home of his beloved Crystal Palace. Despite boasting home advantage, Riakporhe was the underdog against the reigning world champion. He had reason to be confident going into the bout,however; he was unbeaten in 17 fights entering the contest, including a split-decision win over Billam-Smith in 2019. However, Billam-Smith won a unanimous decision.
From sparring with heavyweights to launching an assault on boxing's glamour division
Richard Riakporhe has been working with Martin Bakole in the build-up to Saturday, with both fighters promoted by Ben Shalom's BOXXER. The 'Midnight Train' has previously trained with Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, and Chris Eubank Jr.
Standing six foot five inches tall, combined with his powerful punches, Riakporhe long mused about stepping up to heavyweight. Shortly after his defeat to Chris Billam-Smith, Riakporhe set the wheels in motion to make that move. An opponent for his debut was quickly sought, with fellow former cruiserweight Lawrence Okolie lined up to welcome his London rival into the biggest division in boxing.
A date in April was picked, with Riakporhe and Okolie set to face off on the undercard of Joe Joyce's clash with Dillian Whyte. However, just as Joyce's clash with Whyte failed to materialise, the bout between the cruisers-turned-heavies was nixed when Okolie suffered an injury in the build-up.
Whilst Joyce was able to source a replacement in the form of Filip Hrgović, no substitute could be found for Riakporhe to face, leading the 35-year-old to bide his time. Shortly after that disappointment, Riakporhe stated that he would be making his bow above the 200-pound mark on the undercard of Eubank Jr – Benn.
Although no fight was scheduled, Riakporhe has clearly kept himself ready to compete at a moment's notice – explaining why he was able to step in at the last minute to face Kevin Nicolas Espindola on Saturday night.
