Smarter Billam-Smith won ugly to stay on top of world
The Independent|June 17, 2024
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
Smarter Billam-Smith won ugly to stay on top of world

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.

This story is from the June 17, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the June 17, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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