Richard Riakporhe v Deion Jumah

The scar that runs down Richard Riakporhe's chest is horrifying.

Thick, unmistakably grisly, and cascading from below his collarbone to just above his stomach directly down the centre of his torso, it is a permanent reminder of a former life.

It was back in November 2021, when speaking to Sky Sports, that Riakporhe returned to the scene of the crime, 16 years after his horrific attack.

"I nearly lost my life right here," Riakporhe said. "I got stabbed over a mobile phone. I could have lost my life for around £100.

Riakporhe can hardly believe how he used to live. He said about the stabbing: "I remember like it was yesterday.

"I came out of a party and a guy storms out asking for my phone.

"'Give me your phone!'

"I didn't even have a phone. But, because of pride and ego, I said no.

"I got stabbed for that. The next thing I knew? I was in an ambulance, with an oxygen mask on.

"I thought I was going to die. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't get my words out. There was blood. Everybody was panicking.

"At that time, I wasn't active on the streets and didn't deserve to be stabbed.

"But because of my environment I found myself fighting for my life.

"I'm still here and it's for a reason."

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Boxing gave Riakporhe an escape route from a life which was almost brutally ended.

The 32-year-old has won each of his 13 professional bouts, with his previous victory over Olanrewaju Durodola late last year earning him the WBC silver cruiserweight title.

Riakporhe returns to the ring on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with a clash against fellow unbeaten Londoner Deion Jumah (14-0) after his original opponent Fabio Turchi withdrew due to injury.

A world title shot likely awaits should Riakpohre win but he is already a major success story from the Aylesbury Estate in south-east London, an area of high-rise buildings defined by its social deprivation.

Sixty years ago a local councillor described it as "a concrete jungle not fit for people to live in" and, in 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair stood in the Aylesbury Estate and spoke about "forgotten people".

Today the area remains notorious for its gang-infested crime.

Riakporhe remembers gathering around a yellow board where, every day, the latest details about local misdemeanours would be posted.

One day, somebody was thrown from a balcony several storeys high. Another day, he recalls sneaking beyond a police cordon to discover somebody had been shot.

"It was a real challenge because, to have some respect in the area, you had to get involved," Riakporhe explained.

"I wanted people to salute me as I walked down the streets. That's when I got involved in crime. I made decisions which I have learned from.

"I got led astray by a few friends from the area. A few bad decisions left me on a downward spiral of destruction.

"I looked out of the window and would see cars speeding, then people jumping out and sprinting off. Police cars right behind them. Sirens. Every single day.

"I became conditioned and thought it was normal."

Riakporhe lived with his brother and mother who wouldn't let them go out because "she was conscious of the area". At 14, Riakporhe started spending time outside. He loved football and wanted to play for Crystal Palace until the street life gripped him.

He would play-fight his brother until the violence escalated and one incident overstepped the mark. They swore never to battle again.

At 15, he was stabbed.

It is only when hearing somebody speak who had Riakporhe's world view as a child and a teenager that you can begin understanding the challenges faced by those who grow up in similar environments and find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

"Being from this area we could only think on a certain level," he said,

"I was used to seeing people who were involved in crime. But they had all of the attention - they attracted women, they had power, they had respect.

"I thought: 'This is the way to go'.

"If I aspire to be like somebody, this is who I wanted to be like.

"Only now do I understand that it was a trivial way of thinking.

"At the time I thought it was the pinnacle of life.

"I thought I'd make it only when I had the cars and the clothes because materialistic things were a big thing to me, back then.

"Independent studying, reading, elevating my thinking changed my behaviour and my decision-making."

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Riakporhe became studious (he now has a degree in marketing communications and advertising) and found boxing. After the gym, he was too tired to get into mischief.

"I went to uni and explained the norms of where I grew up. It was like a movie to other people!

"I analysed my life and wanted to do better, to achieve more.

"I was ambitious and knew there was more to life than being around the streets.

"If not for boxing? Who knows where I would have ended up.

"I lacked skill but my coaches told me: 'Just knock this guy out'. Once I imposed my will on my opponents they would dissolve. Not everybody has that kind of will. Where does it derive from? From where I grew up."

The Aylesbury Estate runs through Riakporhe's blood and, in the form of a stab wound, is forever imprinted on his chest.

"We found joy here, as crazy as that may sound," he says while looking around the area which forged him.

"I appreciate life more, having come from this."

Many of the greatest fighters ever grew up in socially deprived areas across the world and never lost the hunger to better themselves.

"Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler - these guys came from absolutely nothing," Riakporhe snared. "It made them grind and develop grit inside the ring.

"Being from this area made me the fighter I am today.

"I have nothing to lose because I came from nothing."

A version of this story first appeared on skysports.com in November 2021.

Watch Richard Riakporhe take on Deion Jumah live on Sky Sports on Saturday night. Coverage begins at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Action and from 8.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp

Deion Jumah has vowed that his boxing experience will tell when he takes a "big step up" against fellow unbeaten cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

Riakporhe has won nine of his 13 fights via knockout, including a fifth-round wipeout of Nigerian Olanrewaju Durodola in November which earned him the WBC silver belt and made him the mandatory challenger to the WBC cruiserweight championship, currently held by Ilunga Makabu.

But fellow Londoner Jumah (14-0 with seven knockouts) says he can deal with Riakporhe's power and will prove too slick in the ring when the men meet in the capital, live on Sky Sports Action and Main Event.

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Speaking to Sky Sports News, Jumah, 32, said: "Richard does have things to be concerned about, he's a big power puncher. But where I am going to bring this fight, it is literally going to be a fight of boxing.

"He has been practising, you could see in his last fight he is trying to box.

"If he wants to revert to his style of taking somebody out, I have something for him as well, but if he wants to do everything he has been learning and go to his boxing, then I am the more experienced fighter.

"Everyone knows this is a big step up for me but one we are ready for. I am not losing this fight. I am coming for the win."

Riakporhe has linked up with trainer Angel Fernandez and been "motivated" by working with two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua during his camp.

However, Jumah stressed that "no one other than Richard can help Richard on fight night", while he also doubts the boxers' sparring session a few years back will have any bearing on Saturday's clash.

When asked whether the spar will impact the match, Jumah said. "No - unless it plays on his mind mentally. It is not playing on mine.

"The spar was a long time ago. I am sure he is an improved fighter now but so am I, so we will see what happens on fight night.

"I don't think anyone other than Richard can help Richard on fight night. He's got 12 rounds with me, it's just going to be me and him.

"If he can take everything he's learnt along the way with him into the ring then good for him because he is going to need it."

Before Jumah's win over Namibia's Willbeforce Shihepo in February, he had spent almost two years out of the ring after having his licence suspended due to a retinal tear.

Jumah added: "It was awful. I had an injury that set me back a couple of years. You can obviously look at the negatives of what that does to a fighter's career but we look at it positively.

"The hunger. The time off has given me a lot of time to think about the type of fighter I want to be and that's what we are going to see on fight night.

"The British Boxing Board stated a number of times they weren't giving me my licence back so I had to potentially pursue other avenues in life.

"But I am fortunate I have a good team behind me, and my sponsors Akira Partners, and they helped get me back on track and here I am today.

"A win [over Riakporhe] would mean everything. I am not looking past Saturday but the future looks good."

Watch Deion Jumah take on Richard Riakporhe live on Sky Sports on Saturday night. Coverage begins at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Action and from 8.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

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Adam Azim wins with first round ko with a jab. He is very good.

Azeez starting first round well against Cartwright but the longer it goes it could turn out to be a closer contest.

Cartwright trying to give a good account of himself but taking a lot of punishment. Feel for him here.

Cartwright taking a beating now and Azeez getting better as the fight progresses. Azeez looking more fluid and relaxed.

Azeez stops Cartwright, the ref should have stopped that ages ago. That was sick.

Riakporhe looks massive against Jumah. They look like they are fighting at different weights.

Jumah is actually doing well against Riakporhe. Not winning but giving a good account of himself.

Jumah knocked down heavily with a huge right hand in round 4.

Jumah survived and was doing well but Riakporhe stops him with a huge body shot in the 8th round. Good timing so I can watch Warrington v Kill now.

Dan Azeez wants to take on Anthony Yarde next following his victory over Reece Cartwright over the weekend.

It was another impressive performance from Azeez, who stopped his opponent in the eighth round of their contest on Saturday night at Wembley Arena on the undercard of Richard Riakporhe vs Deion Jumah.

This victory builds on Azeez’s career best win last time out when he knocked out Hosea Burton in the seventh round to become the British light-heavyweight champion.

Azeez was just grateful for the chance to get back in the ring, especially after his original opponent, Matthew Tinker, pulled out of the fight and Reece Cartwright had to step up on late notice, as Azeez explained to IFL TV.

“I was thanking Reece after the fight, because after Tinker got pulled off the card, I could’ve not been fighting and he stepped in when he didn’t have to.

“So, he’s allowed me to make some money and feed my family and he can feed his family and that’s what it’s all about, it’s a gentleman’s sport.”

Now Azeez wants to add the Commonwealth light heavyweight title to his belt collection.

“That’s the title I want,” he added. “Whoever’s got it, let’s get it on… I just want to get in the mix with all the guys they’re saying are up there.

“We’re in an era of good competitors in the light heavyweight division, so it would be a shame if we can’t all fight.”

Yarde, though, boxes under Frank Warren’s promotional banner on BT Sport, while Azeez is signed to BOXXER and Sky Sports.

This could mean the fight is difficult to make, but Azeez doesn’t want politics to get in the way of his title pursuit, saying:

“I’ll f****** go over there, I’ll go to BT. Who cares, I just want to fight, man.”

Yarde is coming off the back of a terrific victory over Lyndon Arthur in their rematch, as the 30-year-old knocked him out in the fourth round to gain revenge for his split-decision defeat in their first fight.

Currently ranked in the top three with three of the four major recognised governing bodies in boxing, Yarde may have his sights set a little higher than Azeez, with hopes for another shot at the world title, following his first failed attempt against Sergey Kovalev.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ight-bt-sport/

Chris Kongo could put Conor Benn "on notice" by producing a knockout win over his fellow British welterweight's former opponent Sebastian Formella, according to promoter Ben Shalom.

Londoner Kongo will take on Germany's Formella at the OVO Arena in Wembley on June 11 on the undercard of Richard Riakporhe's IBF cruiserweight title eliminator against Fabio Turchi, live on Sky Sports.

Formella's only defeats to date have come against Benn and former world champion Shawn Porter, but neither were able to stop him inside the distance.

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Kongo is looking to force his way into world title contention after embarking on a new era of his career, having signed with BOXXER, and is confident the chance to fight more regularly will help him achieve his aims.

"I think Chris has to make a statement," Shalom told Sky Sports News. "This is definitely a really tough fight. No one has ever stopped Formella, he's very, very stubborn.

"It's a huge opportunity to make a statement but it's also a proper fight and Chris is going to need to be at his best. But if he can do something that no one's done before and stop him, it will show that Chris really is at that level that we believe he is.

"We always felt that with a better environment he could have a much better chance at a high level. I think Formella is the perfect opponent for him but he's a huge test and he needs to prove that he can compete at the very top of the division.

"I think it would put Conor Benn on notice."

Benn (21-0) has strung together some eye-catching performances, but his last nine fights have come against foreign opponents, and Shalom believes the 25-year-old would benefit from facing a domestic rival.

"I think unfortunately we've not really seen Conor in any domestic fights so far, and I think that's what he's crying out for," Shalom said.

"We're seeing it now with Josh Buatsi and Craig Richards, we've seen it with Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Williams and Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall - domestic fights are what the fans want to see.

"I think that's what takes you up another level in terms of respect and in terms of notoriety and I think at some point Conor should be looking at fighting the British guys, and hopefully Chris Kongo is going to be in the mix after this fight.

"He's got the talent to do it and it definitely puts him right up there if he can dispatch Formella."

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