Smarter Billam-Smith won ugly to stay on top of world

Winning ugly is often the best tactic in boxing, and Chris Billam-Smith certainly won ugly late on Saturday night, to keep his world title at Selhurst Park.

- STEVE BUNCE

Billam-Smith retained his WBO cruiserweight belt with a unanimous points verdict over Richard Riakporhe after 12 rounds of calculated mauling, holding and smart boxing. It was not always easy on the eye, but it was clever from Billam-Smith.

Riakporhe had previously beaten Billam-Smith on points, was unbeaten in 17 with 13 knockouts, and the betting favourite. But in the ring, Billam-Smith knew just enough to avoid many clean and powerful Riakporhe right hands; it was frustrating for the challenger at times, but boxing is often about solving a puzzle.

Riakporhe left the ring a better fighter than the one who had stepped through the ropes an hour earlier. And Billam-Smith just keeps getting better and better.

The Billam-Smith boxing story will continue and might now have stops in Las Vegas or Riyadh by the end of the year. This was not the first time, and it will not be the last time, that he starts as an underdog and then puts in place a careful plan to win.