The Week: Billam-Smith vs. Riakporhe is signed, Joyce admits he considered retiring, and Taylor says he’s “not a million miles away” from agreeing Catterall rematch

By Declan Taylor


Wednesday, January 17

TURKI TALK

On the birthday of both Muhammad Ali and Oleksandr Usyk, it was one of the burgeoning icons of this generation that sat down and gave his first real interview since basically turning the entire sport on its head.

Turki Al-Alshikh, the chairman of the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority and the man behind the Kingdomโ€™s seismic arrival on the scene, spoke for nearly 20 minutes to Ade Oladipo on DAZNโ€™s Youtube channel. Some get.

For much of 2023, we have been told by others about how much he likes boxing, that he is just a huge fan like the rest of us, but this was the first time Al-Alshikh has personally explained what he and Saudi Arabia are up to. โ€œIf the question is, why [in] Saudi Arabia?โ€ He said of boxingโ€™s biggest fights. โ€œThen why not Saudi Arabia?โ€

He also spoke of his desire to work with Al Haymon, so far absent from all Saudi dealings, in 2024, the current plan to make Artur Beterbiev against Dmitrii Bivol and also declared: โ€œplease, we donโ€™t want any Youtuber fights again.โ€

Geezer seems alright after all doesnโ€™t he?


Thursday, January 18

DEALS AGREED

Sticking on that theme for another day, but on Thursday, Al-Alshikh was at it again, this time getting the proposed Queensberry v Matchroom show signed and sealed, along with a picture of Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren signing the contracts.

Over at Boxxer, meanwhile, on Thursday Ben Shalom confirmed that the anticipated, all-British rematch between Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe is now also signed and sealed, although there is currently no date or venue agreed but it will likely take place during the summer outdoors at either AFC Bournemouth or Crystal Palace. Given Billam-Smithโ€™s army of fans on the coast, and the fact he is the champion, it seems unlikely that Boxxer will take that fight away from Bournemouth.

Also, after lunch on Thursday, The Week trundled down to London Bridge for a Queensberry press conference to officially announce their Birmingham March 16 Magnificent Seven show, topped by Nathan Heaney against Brad Pauls with a very solid undercard to support it. โ€œOur Magnificent Seven show in Manchester last year was the British promotion of the year,โ€ Warren told Boxing News. โ€œThis is a format we will be doing much more regularly.โ€

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Richard Riakporhe (Getty Images)

Friday, January 19

JUGGERNOT DONE YET

The Week also had a chat with the returning Joe Joyce, as he attempts to put his horror 2023 behind him and get back towards the top of the heavyweight pile in โ€˜24. He was stopped not once but twice by Zhilei Zhang last year and he admitted that he had considered retirement before deciding to give the Juggernaut a fresh lick of paint and another tank of diesel.

โ€œI did have a moment getting into camp this year where it did cross my mind,โ€ Joyce said of retirement. โ€œIโ€™ve been training hard for a long time now, I was on GB for five years. Iโ€™ve been doing it for 15, 16 years so itโ€™s a long time. But I still havenโ€™t achieved what I set out to in the sport. And I donโ€™t feel much different to how I did when I was in my late 20s. I havenโ€™t got too many miles on the clock, Iโ€™m an exciting fighter, who can come again and I will come again.โ€

Of his comeback fight, against Kash Ali, once famously DQd for biting David Price, Joyce added: โ€œHeโ€™s unpredictable – and can be a bit bitey.โ€

Meanwhile in Liverpool on Friday, Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer, two boxers who have history in much lighter weight classes, were comfortably inside the welterweight limit ahead of their Saturday showdown. Jonas was 146lb while Mayer was 146.3lb.


Saturday, January 20

MERSEY ASIDES

As Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer combined to serve up another wonderful advert for womenโ€™s boxing in Liverpool on Saturday night, at ringside and its surrounding areas, Boxing News were harvesting news about a number of future fights.

One of them is the long-awaited rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, which the latter claimed was already done, but the former insists is not quite there yet.

โ€œHe doesn’t know what heโ€™s talking about,โ€ Taylor said of Catterallโ€™s suggestion. โ€œI donโ€™t know where heโ€™s got that from. Weโ€™re getting somewhere now with negotiations and stuff – I donโ€™t think weโ€™re a million miles away. Hopefully it gets done, it gets sorted and we can get this shit put to bed.โ€

Of course no fight at the Liverpool Arena is complete without at least one Smith brother in attendance and Callum, a week on from his numbing defeat to Artur Beterbiev, was there.

โ€œI never really planned on being sat here in this position,โ€ he said. โ€œI planned on sitting here as world champion, going and fighting Bivol then retiring on my terms. Iโ€™m not making any decisions yet – I want to be a two-weight world champion and I think Iโ€™d find it hard walking away knowing I never fulfilled what I set out to do. Iโ€™ll take some time out, Iโ€™m getting married in the summer, then Iโ€™ll make a decision on my future after that.โ€

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Callum Smith (Getty Images)

Sunday, January 21

SUGAR RAY BIVOL

On the subject of light-heavyweights, the Sabbath brought with it a fresh interview with Bivol via the Matchroom Youtube channel. With his job done against Lyndon Arthur on December 23 and Beterbievโ€™s done against Smith – not to mention a truckload of Saudi millions – the all-Russian 175lb megafight is now seemingly upon us.

Beterbiev went 20-0 with 20 quick thanks to his win against Smith but Bivol says he will be channelling a former great in order to beat braun with his brain.

โ€œI love to watch Sugar Ray Leonard fight,โ€ Bivol said. โ€œHis fight against Roberto Duran. He could lose, he could win, it depends on how he was in training camp. The first time he lost, the second time he won. It was an interesting fight for me. I love this fight and also his fight against Marvin Hagler, such a powerful puncher. I hope itโ€™s a similar fight with different styles.

โ€œWe are all human, we all have weak sides and good sides. Even him, we saw some of the moments where he wasnโ€™t good. I just need to create as many moments as I can that are not comfortable for him. Thatโ€™s it. Itโ€™s easy to be honest. But these are details I should talk about with my coach, not with you in public.โ€


Monday, January 22

JAI IN THE OINTMENT

Twittersโ€™ legs went on Monday morning after it was reported that cruiserweight beast Jai Opetaia left Tyson Furyโ€™s Saudi Arabia training camp after just five rounds of sparring to return to Australia.

Opetaia will box on the undercard of Fury v Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 and, given his style, had been brought in to camp to provide the Gypsy King with perfect prep for Usyk. However, a post from Tasman Fighters, his management group, said Opetaia left due to a lack of orthodox sparring which was not ideal given his plan to rematch Mairis Briedis next.

Twitter, however, disagreed. Claims ranged anywhere from the suggestion that Opetaia floored Fury and got sent home, to Opetaia elbow dropped Isaac Lowe after a particularly ill-tempered game of power slap via a rumour that the 200lber actually ram-raided the gym with a Maserati. Chances are, we will never know the truth.

Speaking of Twitter, that is where Mayer released a statement on Monday morning following her controversial split decision defeat to Jonas. โ€œIโ€™m hoping Natasha feels the pressure,โ€ typed Mayer. โ€œAnd does what a stand-up champion would do in this situation and thatโ€™s agree to a rematch. I deserve it, the fans deserve it and I believe her legacy depends on it.โ€


Tuesday, January 23

GORILLA IN THE MIDST

It was still dark on Tuesday morning when The Week checked in with our guest columnist for this edition, John Ryder, who is eight hours back in Los Angeles where he has been finishing off his latest training camp.

The Gorilla faces Jaime Munguia in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night in a fight that kicks off a big few weeks for the Tony Sims stable. After Ryder, in Las Vegas, Conor Benn, Jimmy Sains and George Liddard are out on February 3 while Joe Cordina boxes two weeks later in Saudi.

โ€œRight now it feels like a brotherhood and we are all in it together,โ€ Ryder said. โ€œWeโ€™ve all suffered over Christmas, now itโ€™s time to get our rewards.โ€

A few hours later, in Japan, the โ€˜Amazing Boyโ€™ Kenshiro Teraj, the light-flyweight No.1, had to dig deep to retain his two belts after a spirited effort from Carlos Canizales at the Edion Arena in Osaka. One judge had it 113-113 while the other two scored Kenshiro, now 23-1 (14), a 114-112 winner. In terms of a Tuesday lunchtime, this is about as good as it gets with both men combining to serve up a Fight of the Year contender.

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