Latest news with #ViddalRiley
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Commonwealth cruiser champion Aloys Junior takes aim at Viddal Riley
Newly crowned Commonwealth cruiserweight champion Aloys Junior has set his sights on the British title. Following his victory over David Jamieson at the weekend, Junior is shifting his aim towards a showdown with Viddal Riley. Speaking recently, Junior said that he was targeting the Tottenham man for a bout. Junior, 10-1 (9), made his comments to an interviewer from Queensberry Promotions for the firm's YouTube channel. Junior said: 'I want all the smoke. Whoever wants it can get it. If Vidal wants me, I'm here, baby. If Vidal Riley wants me, I am here, baby. If Vidal Riley wants me, I'm here.' He added: 'He will try to run away from me but I will ******* cut that ring off. He ain't going nowhere. I'll make sure of it.' Junior's fight against Jamieson, now 13-4 (10), ended after a knockdown in the third round that followed Jamieson going to the floor also in rounds one and two. Junior said that he wanted 'the world' and that his victory over Jamieson was just 'one step'. The only loss so far on Junior's record was a close one on points in his debut against the Pole Michal Soczynski at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. Soczynski, 10-0 (7), has so far remained undefeated and last fought also at the weekend at home in Kalisz, Poland when he stopped Cristian Norges Lopez Lopez in three rounds. Junior, meanwhile, has been on a ten-fight winning streak since, with his only fight going the distance being a points decision over the unbeaten Oronzo Birardi, also at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. A fight against Riley might make sense at this point in both his and Junior's careers. BoxRec lists Riley, 13-0 (7), as the second-best cruiserweight in Europe, with Junior at #4. Globally, the pair are respectively ranked at #20 and #27. Riley last fought in April when he won a twelve-round decision over Cheavon Clarke on the undercard of the fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn. Not included in any of the public callouts is Jack Massey, 22-3 (12), ranked #25 in the world and #3 in the UK. Massey last fought in October against Jai Opetaia in Riyadh, losing by stoppage in the sixth round. Also missing from the proclamations is Chris Billam-Smith, 21-2 (13) and the former WBO champion, who also fought on the undercard between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, winning a spirited twelve-round decision. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke: Start time, live stream, TV channel for massive British cruiserweight title fight
VIDDAL RILEY and Cheavon Clarke meet in a massive British cruiserweight title fight this weekend! The opening fight of a spectacular card - that includes Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn as the main event - will be a fascinating meeting between two top British cruisers. 2 2 Viddal Riley makes his way into the ring with a perfect record of 12-0 (7 KOs) whereas Clarke comes in at an also impressive 10-1 (7 KOs). Tottenham fan Riley, who arrived for the press conference in Spurs merch, was first known as KSI's boxing trainer. He helped the YouTube sensation gain his first amateur and professional boxing victories against Joe Weller and Logan Paul. Since then Riley has made a meteoric rise training under the likes of Floyd Mayweather's team and has become a top prospect at cruiserweight. Riley will be looking to add the coveted British cruiserweight title to his trophy cabinet in a massive fight. Arsenal -mad Clarke appeared to be heading for a world title shot before he was dropped and suffered a shock split decision defeat to Leonardo Mosquea in December. Clarke, 34, will have to win this fight if he is to be considered a contender at world level. When is Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke? Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke is the first fight on the undercard of the huge bill for Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn. The event takes place on Saturday, April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Coverage of the event is set to start at 5pm BST. Exact times have not yet been announced, but ring walks for Riley vs Clark are expected at around 5.45pm BST. Is Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke on TV and will there be a live stream? The full card is available to purchase via pay-per-view on both Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN PPV. The event can also be streamed on SkyGO and DAZN's website to PPV customers. The show will cost £19.95 to purchase. SunSport will also live blog the whole card - with every fight and all the fallout - as it happens. Full card
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Viddal Riley on coaching KSI, boxing with broken ribs, and a ‘bucket-list' fight at Spurs
Viddal Riley is aiming to stay unbeaten when he fights on the Eubank Jr vs Benn undercard (Getty Images) For Viddal Riley, a Tottenham Hotspur fan about to fight at his beloved team's stadium, West Ham Boys Amateur Boxing Club is an ironic place to prepare. Yet here he is, in the gym that has been his boxing home for well over a decade, surrounded by claret and blue. Advertisement On a wooden board down one end of the historic building, a haven for young boxers for more than a century, Riley's name can be found in several places – evidence of his amateur success. But while his pedigree is undeniable, the wider boxing world came to know the 27-year-old through endeavours far removed from the amateur game. When Riley began training YouTuber KSI in 2017, his name reached an audience outside of visitors and pupils at West Ham Boys Club. 'It was clearly supposed to be part of my journey, it hasn't happened to anyone else,' Riley, sat on a ring apron, tells The Independent. 'It was documented on a large scale, allowed me to develop a brand. As much as my name is on the board here, nobody outside the boxing world knew who I was. That opportunity allowed me to put my name out there; now it's about putting it out there for the reason I want it to be. 'I'm never gonna shy away or be ashamed of coaching a YouTuber, but that can't be the end of my story. All stories have chapters, and now we're at the stage of me being a professional boxing champion.' Indeed, the unbeaten cruiserweight holds the English Championship, and he will vie for the British crown on 26 April, as he fights Cheavon Clarke on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn. The bout, on paper, will be Riley's toughest so far. Advertisement The same was said about his clash with Mikael Lawal last March, however, and Riley eased to a decision win. Except the scorecards did not tell the story of Riley's internal battle at the O2 Arena; in round one, he suffered three fractured ribs. Viddal Riley (right) during his victory over Mikael Lawal, in which he suffered three fractured ribs (Getty Images) 'It was just a matter of, 'We're here now, we've come here to win, so how do we win in this circumstance?'' he says. 'There's a couple rounds where you're thinking: 'Alright, cool, maybe this isn't as bad as it felt when it had just happened.' Then, as it's getting worse, you realise you have an issue. But it's just about finding a way to win by any means necessary. 'The mentality I've always had is: once I'm in the fight, I've signed up to win. If I can manoeuvre around it and find that avenue, I'm gonna find it. It [gives] me so much [confidence] to know that, under those circumstances, I can still pretty much not lose a round. Most people wouldn't be able to do that, so I know I'm in the right game. I don't know what that final destination looks like, but I've definitely been put here to fight.' Advertisement While Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will not be the final destination on Riley's journey, it would be easy for the Spurs fan to see this occasion as an endpoint. Still, 'I've visualised it, but I haven't really taken in that side of things,' he admits. 'It was on my bucket list of venues to fight in, but I really just focus on Cheav. Afterwards, I'll take it in, but all those elements and factors... you realise they're not important when someone's trying to knock your head off. 'I didn't care I was in the O2 Arena when my ribs broke, I swear – and I'm gassed to have boxed in the O2 now. But at the time, I could've been in a garden; I'm just thinking: 'My ribs are broken.'' Riley is aiming to stay unbeaten when he fights Cheavon Clarke on the Eubank Jr vs Benn undercard (Getty Images) Riley will naturally hope for no broken ribs on his side come fight night, but he is aiming to break something else in Clarke. Advertisement 'Someone's will will have to be broken, because he's very stubborn and I'm very stubborn,' Riley says. 'He's definitely got the most credentials of my opponents: very high-level amateur, Olympian, fought some good names and veterans as a pro and has picked up some high world rankings with multiple governing bodies. 'It's a step up, [but] how am I ever gonna be able to put my name among the bigger names if I don't take them on? I'm not really looking for credit, but this is where my own validation starts to get ticked off.' Yet Riley is familiar with validation out of the ring, courtesy of his endeavours in music. He has seen success under the artist name RIL in recent years, but needs a certain silence as he approaches fights like this one. 'When I'm in camp and in my routine, I don't make a lot of music,' Riley says. 'I normally make it in bulk, so when the fight's done and I'm getting back into my creative writing, I might get six or seven songs made. [But] you can't give your opponent that advantage; if he's doing his sit-ups or going for a run, and I'm rhyming, I'm gonna be at a disadvantage. Sometimes you just have to drop it, you can't record content and stuff. You've got to say: 'The camera's going dark.'' On 26 April, however, the lights and cameras will be on Riley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. All that's left is the action.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Viddal Riley on coaching KSI, boxing with broken ribs, and a ‘bucket-list' fight at Spurs
For Viddal Riley, a Tottenham Hotspur fan about to fight at his beloved team's stadium, West Ham Boys Amateur Boxing Club is an ironic place to prepare. Yet here he is, in the gym that has been his boxing home for well over a decade, surrounded by claret and blue. On a wooden board down one end of the historic building, a haven for young boxers for more than a century, Riley's name can be found in several places – evidence of his amateur success. But while his pedigree is undeniable, the wider boxing world came to know the 27-year-old through endeavours far removed from the amateur game. When Riley began training YouTuber KSI in 2017, his name reached an audience outside of visitors and pupils at West Ham Boys Club. 'It was clearly supposed to be part of my journey, it hasn't happened to anyone else,' Riley, sat on a ring apron, tells The Independent. 'It was documented on a large scale, allowed me to develop a brand. As much as my name is on the board here, nobody outside the boxing world knew who I was. That opportunity allowed me to put my name out there; now it's about putting it out there for the reason I want it to be. 'I'm never gonna shy away or be ashamed of coaching a YouTuber, but that can't be the end of my story. All stories have chapters, and now we're at the stage of me being a professional boxing champion.' Indeed, the unbeaten cruiserweight holds the English Championship, and he will vie for the British crown on 26 April, as he fights Cheavon Clarke on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn. The bout, on paper, will be Riley's toughest so far. The same was said about his clash with Mikael Lawal last March, however, and Riley eased to a decision win. Except the scorecards did not tell the story of Riley's internal battle at the O2 Arena; in round one, he suffered three fractured ribs. 'It was just a matter of, 'We're here now, we've come here to win, so how do we win in this circumstance?'' he says. 'There's a couple rounds where you're thinking: 'Alright, cool, maybe this isn't as bad as it felt when it had just happened.' Then, as it's getting worse, you realise you have an issue. But it's just about finding a way to win by any means necessary. 'The mentality I've always had is: once I'm in the fight, I've signed up to win. If I can manoeuvre around it and find that avenue, I'm gonna find it. It [gives] me so much [confidence] to know that, under those circumstances, I can still pretty much not lose a round. Most people wouldn't be able to do that, so I know I'm in the right game. I don't know what that final destination looks like, but I've definitely been put here to fight.' While Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will not be the final destination on Riley's journey, it would be easy for the Spurs fan to see this occasion as an endpoint. Still, 'I've visualised it, but I haven't really taken in that side of things,' he admits. 'It was on my bucket list of venues to fight in, but I really just focus on Cheav. Afterwards, I'll take it in, but all those elements and factors... you realise they're not important when someone's trying to knock your head off. 'I didn't care I was in the O2 Arena when my ribs broke, I swear – and I'm gassed to have boxed in the O2 now. But at the time, I could've been in a garden; I'm just thinking: 'My ribs are broken.'' Riley will naturally hope for no broken ribs on his side come fight night, but he is aiming to break something else in Clarke. 'Someone's will will have to be broken, because he's very stubborn and I'm very stubborn,' Riley says. 'He's definitely got the most credentials of my opponents: very high-level amateur, Olympian, fought some good names and veterans as a pro and has picked up some high world rankings with multiple governing bodies. 'It's a step up, [but] how am I ever gonna be able to put my name among the bigger names if I don't take them on? I'm not really looking for credit, but this is where my own validation starts to get ticked off.' Yet Riley is familiar with validation out of the ring, courtesy of his endeavours in music. He has seen success under the artist name RIL in recent years, but needs a certain silence as he approaches fights like this one. 'When I'm in camp and in my routine, I don't make a lot of music,' Riley says. 'I normally make it in bulk, so when the fight's done and I'm getting back into my creative writing, I might get six or seven songs made. [But] you can't give your opponent that advantage; if he's doing his sit-ups or going for a run, and I'm rhyming, I'm gonna be at a disadvantage. Sometimes you just have to drop it, you can't record content and stuff. You've got to say: 'The camera's going dark.'' On 26 April, however, the lights and cameras will be on Riley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. All that's left is the action.
