The Push to Heavyweight: Holyfield’s Words and Boxing Realities
Some stories in boxing start with raw talent, others with a chance meeting or a word of encouragement from a legend. For Richard Riakporhe, it was a bit of everything. When he stepped up to heavyweight, it wasn’t just about chasing bigger paydays or hunting a new title—it was about listening to Evander Holyfield. The former undisputed champion told him not to settle: “Dominate the heavyweight division.” Those words weren’t easily forgotten.
For years, Riakporhe had squeezed himself down to make the cruiserweight limit—200 pounds is a tough number for someone with his frame. After he fell short to Chris Billam-Smith in June 2024, the grind of cutting weight started to look pointless. He’d first dreamt of switching division after his British cruiserweight title win back in 2019, but the loss—and the brutal reality of shrinking his body—finally tipped the scales.
From that point, every training session felt different. He wasn’t worrying about the scale anymore. The timing worked out, too: a planned bout with Lawrence Okolie in April 2025 was scrapped when Okolie got injured, so Riakporhe shifted his focus—and his mass, literally—to the heavyweight scene.
A Head-Turning Debut in Riyadh
Boxing’s heavyweight division is more packed than ever, but Riakporhe didn’t slip in quietly. On May 3, 2025, he walked out under the bright lights at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight against Kevin Espindola, while not grabbing as many headlines as the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull main event, got people talking for another reason—the authority with which Riakporhe handled his new class. Less than four rounds was all it took for him to stop Espindola and send a warning to the division.
He didn’t get there by luck. He spent months getting his body right, locked in gritty sparring rounds with Martin Bakole so he could feel the punches of natural heavyweights and give some back. That work behind closed doors broke up whatever doubts people had—could a former cruiserweight actually do any real damage in the sport’s biggest, baddest division?
Riakporhe, at 35, has hit that crossroads where careers often drift. But he’s restless. As he said himself, he wants to "make some noise and cause a ruckus." With his size, power, and confidence—fueled by a legend’s advice—he’s set his sights high.
Now, it’s not just about fitting into heavyweight. He wants to be the kind of threat nobody’s comfortable facing—a disruptor among the giants. Title shots and even bigger nights look likely, but Riakporhe knows every step at heavyweight will be a fresh test of just how far he can go beyond the 200lb limit that held him back for so long.