Cruiserweight Contender Olanrewaju Durodola Ready To Take Richard Riakporhe’s Unbeaten Record
Nigerian cruiserweight contender and former world title challenger Olanrewaju Durodola will face unbeaten British hope Richard Riakporhe at Wembley on November 20th. 41 year old Durodola, who is a battle-hardened 36-8(33) believes he will have too much experience for the “untested” Riakporhe, 12-0(8) and that he will win this fight and then, he hopes, get a return shot at current WBC cruiserweight champ Ilunga Junior Makabu.
Makabu stopped Durodola in the 7th round of a good action fight last December, and Durodola is still upset with himself for losing and he craves revenge. If “God’s Power,” who has also been in with the likes of Thabiso Mchunu, Dmitry Kudryashov, Mairis Briedis, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk and Michal Cieslak, can beat Riakporhe, he may get his chance.
Here Durodola kindly takes the time to speak with ESB:
Q: This is an interesting fight between you and Riakporhe, and it could be a a great action fight.
Olanrewaju Durodola: “Yes, it’s a great fight. He is not yet a great fighter though, he is just coming up. Yes, he is a good fighter but he has not yet been tested.”
Q: How do you see the fight going? You feel you have far too much experience for him?
O.D: “Yes. He thinks he can use my age of 41 against me in the fight. But he has made a big mistake in taking this fight and in thinking that way. This fight is a big opportunity for me, and it will allow me to again challenge [Ilunga] Makabu. That is a fight I must win. It was a war [when we fought last year] and he is a fighter I need to conquer.”
Q: What went wrong in the Makabu fight?
O.D: “I was too anxious to win, I was overanxious, and I wore myself out in the fight. I can’t wait to meet him again! I did too much work in the fight, I was not calm like I should have been and I did not take my time. I should have knocked him out. I should have done what Tony Bellew did to him. I know I have the punching power to beat him; he told me himself he had to be very careful with my power. That fight, it pains me a lot. If you watch it, you will know what I mean. I gave up in the seventh round, I was so tired, even though I beat the count when I got knocked down. I appreciate the love and support and I will get the win [on November 20].”
How much has Durodola got left, and how good is Riakporhe? The upcoming fight that will contest the WBC silver belt should be an entertaining affair, whoever wins.