The Beltline: Okolie and Riakporhe moviegoers chase the scenario their potential fight might require
WHILE watching footage of British battlecruisers, Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe clash at the film’s European premiere Article of Faith IIIit’s hard to determine which of the two – Article of Faith III or the clash between British rivals – having the clumsiest choreography and the wildest script.
Sure, know what we know about Creed franchise, one would naturally assume that Michael B. Jordan’s frivolous boxing project would hit top honors. However, taking into account the simmering animosity between Okolie and Riakporhe, as well as the money-making potential they have as rivals, it’s very likely that their coming together was staged, or at least not. squeezed out and exaggerated, like the movie they watched all evening.
In a sense, it also works. Late on Thursday (February 15), videos started showing them arguing and swinging together in what appeared to be a movie theater lobby and suddenly we got a reminder that these two same weight class and the possibility of a fight between them could be a bit intriguing.
Without that moment, it would have been easy to forget. After all, Okolie has only fought twice since stopping Krzysztof Glowacki in a breakout win in March 2021 and in both of those games – against Dilan Prasovic (TKO 3) and Michal Cieslak (UD 12) ) – he has built up his collecting motivation or asking to be followed. A rather odd case where, on the one hand, there are few bigger boxers in the British arena than Okolie, and fewer good straights, but on the other hand, much of what has prevented Okolie from truly becoming a hit and catching captured the imagination of the British public fighting like the Battle of Cieslak and long before that, they fought against Isaac Chamberlain and Matty Askin. On each of those nights, Okolie, instead of showing off her explosive punch, was content to pick and push and hold and get to the end, winning in the safest way possible.
This, combined with a recent defection from Matchroom, has left Okolie, 18-0 (14), in a peculiar position in between; an extreme man who has the ability to leave the arena to boo as he astounds the audience with a chilling knockdown; a man’s role as British heavy frigate was taken over by Riakporhe, 16-0 (12), a fellow Londoner whose last four battles ended in the long-distance.
Maybe that’s ultimately why Eddie Hearn and Matchroom didn’t or couldn’t give him what he wanted. Perhaps in the end, their seeming indifference to Okolie’s departure on his own says more about his star potential, or lack thereof, than his certain ability. as a belt holder of the dangerous WBO class of cruisers.
Despite that, Okolie, at the age of 30, is now entering his sporting peak and will soon capitalize on his talents and titles. He will also learn that cruiser class is rarely the answer to all a boxer’s dreams, especially financially, and to ultimately achieve his goal – to become rich – he must now cast his net wider and head towards heavyweight or, and this is where Riakporhe steps in, capitalizing on the pay-per-view potential of a good, classic, vengeful match. brother.
That, like a weary right hand, will call for moments like Thursday night, and it also takes Okolie up to the challenge of David Light – an undefeated and untried New Zealander – on March 25. Do it and it may be waiting outside the ring for Okolie will be Riakporhe, who will then, as is customary today, be invited into the ring to once again stir it all up. drama in the name of a shared fortune at the end of the year.
No one can knock them down for that. Today, that’s simply how unknown fighters became famous and that’s how decent fights became pay-per-view events. Here, perhaps, it was also necessary, no matter how exciting the match between Okolie and Riakporhe was on paper. Unfortunately, that’s become the way things are now: fights like this, for it to happen, will probably need to be advertised as a pay-per-view service, hence , which requires a certain amount of needles. , plot and choreography. Sadly, the days are gone by all you need is some meaningful wins and a standout reel to grab the attention of the British public. Gone are the days when competition was something organic and enduring, as opposed to something concocted in a boardroom over a sushi lunch.
FINALLY, a few brief words about the tragic passing of Ron Lewis, a journalist who enjoyed watching fights like Okolie vs Riakporhe but rolled his eyes when he saw them rushing into each other in the cinema lobby. front.
He is, like so many of us, a man who both loves and loathes the sport to an equal degree. However, Unlike some of us, Ron was able to maintain a playful enthusiasm for the fights and for the boxers, which ensured that he was available on fight night and on fight week, and moreover, the last time I saw him (at a media roundtable with promoter Eddie Hearn) a reassuring presence in an age of dishonesty, disposables, filmed content and less Considered mindset, patience, and education.
A mainstay in the best way, Ron Lewis is a comeback. He listened, he learned, and he truly cared, even at a time when it was both easier and healthier not to do so. Indeed, back in 2008, I still remember sending out a press release on behalf of the now-defunct Hayemaker Boxing detailing the match against Derry Mathews, shortly after which I received a blunt response. word Ron told me it was “Mathews” and not “Matthews” as I originally wrote.
When I was so young, I first considered this cranky old journalist’s correction to be rude or worse, trying to put me in my place for having seen me appear so many times in my years. youth. However, what I later realized was that Ron was just helping me; taught me a lesson, at the age of 21 I definitely needed to learn. More than that, however, his love for the boxers he defended was so deep, that day Ron did Derry Mathews the privilege, as always, to fight for the boxers. and make sure they get the credit and attention they deserve.
Ron Lewis (Mark Robinson Boxing)
