He got robbed on Saturday night against Richard Riakporhe. Smith was easily the better boxer, weathered the storm and started to push Riakporhe back and beat him at his own game. Riakporhe was allowed to get away with all kinds of fouling; holding, pushing, leading with his head and elbows, trying to push Smith over the ropes, hit low once or twice. Billam-Smith didn't complain and just tried to give as good as he got. At the end of the fight the commentators grudgingly admitted that he'd won. He must have won about 8-4 and that's being generous to Riakporhe.
I'm not trying to be funny, but some of Billam-Smith's work, his movement, his cute boxing, standing in range riding shots and landing crisp counters, he reminded me of Joe Calzaghe some of the stuff he was doing. And as a Calzaghe-nuthugger myself, that is lofty lofty praise.
I will be very interested to see where Chris Billam-Smith goes from here, but he definately made a fan out of me. He has very good boxing ability as well as the grit to fight in the trenches. His only real criticism would be a lack of power, but again his bodywork had Riakporhe visibly wincing in pain for half of the fight. Riakporhe and Lawrence Okolie rely solely on a foul-filled brawling style, that would not be allowed anywhere but in the UK on their own promoters' show.
I'm not trying to be funny, but some of Billam-Smith's work, his movement, his cute boxing, standing in range riding shots and landing crisp counters, he reminded me of Joe Calzaghe some of the stuff he was doing. And as a Calzaghe-nuthugger myself, that is lofty lofty praise.
I will be very interested to see where Chris Billam-Smith goes from here, but he definately made a fan out of me. He has very good boxing ability as well as the grit to fight in the trenches. His only real criticism would be a lack of power, but again his bodywork had Riakporhe visibly wincing in pain for half of the fight. Riakporhe and Lawrence Okolie rely solely on a foul-filled brawling style, that would not be allowed anywhere but in the UK on their own promoters' show.
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