Lawrence Okolie v Richard Riakporhe - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainers, records & more

We analyse the statistics and credentials of Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe as the pair get set to collide in a heavyweight contest at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 5th April, 2025.

Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe were on a natural collision course before Chris Billam-Smith got in the way!

The Bournemouth ‘Gentleman’ ended the WBO cruiserweight world title reign of Okolie and his time in the 200lbs weight class.

That loss and then Riakporhe’s, also to Billam-Smith, now sees the London rivals campaigning in a far bigger pond at heavyweight.

On Saturday 5th April, they will finally thrown down and do so as the co-feature to the main event at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena between Joe Joyce and rumoured Dillian Whyte replacement Filip Hrgovic.

But who will prevail in the all-London hard-hitting clash?

Before we find out, it's time to take a look at the 'Tale of the Tape'.

	Lawrence Okolie	Richard Riakporhe
Age:	32	35
Nickname:	‘The Sauce’	‘The Midnight Train’
Height:	6ft 5ins	6ft 5ins
Reach:	82 ½ins	77ins
Weight:	Heavyweight	Heavyweight
Trainer:	Joe Gallagher	Angel Fernandez
Record:	21-1 (16 KOs)	17-1 (13 KOs)
Last Fight:	Won v Hussein Muhamed (December 2024)	Lost v Chris Billam-Smith (June 2024)

Lawrence Okolie - In Profile

Lawrence Okolie looks like a fighter unleashed and full of confidence since he moved on from the weight making difficulties at cruiserweight to stop off at bridgerweight before a long overdue move to heavyweight.

The 32-year-old made an eye-catching heavyweight debut with a first-round TKO win against Hussein Muhammed in December which gave him his second consecutive opening frame victory, having travelled to Poland to pick up the WBC Bridgerweight title at the expense of Lukasz Rozanski earlier in the year.

His new lease of life has been ably supported by veteran trainer Joe Gallagher who insists his fighters are fit for 12 rounds and sit down on their shots, and when Okolie walked into Gallagher’s Manchester gym months ago he must have grinned like a Cheshire cat because on his day Okolie is one of the UK’s most devastating fighters.

It’s therefore no coincidence that since working with his new cornerman we have seen Okolie let his hands go with bad intentions, which could be bad news for Riakporhe.

On the flip side, however, Riakporhe, too, is a gifted puncher who blasted through opponents before Billam-Smith and a tactically astute game-plan from trainer Shane McGuigan took away his greatest strengths.

Okolie and Riakporhe have been circling one another for years and almost came to blows during a red carpet premiere for the boxing movie Creed III.

This time around, Hollywood and tuxedos aren’t needed, just raw, hurting hands, which if these two men use effectively could lead to a last man standing action thriller.

Strengths	Weaknesses
World-class strength	Caught between styles
Knockout power	Doesn't throw enough shots
Uses distance well	Inconsistency
Suffocates opponents on the inside	Limited head movement

Richard Riakporhe - In Profile

The ego and reputation of Richard Riakporhe suffered a serious knock when Chris Billam-Smith outfoxed him at Selhurst Park to retain his WBO Cruiserweight title.

He walked in as the challenger but was the favourite to take the belt such was his impressive form before his first ever world title shot.

However, his inexperience at the highest level and raw, Marmite style all combined to not only hinder him but play into the hands of the champion.

Riakporhe, like Okolie, was always destined for a heavyweight move but certainly would have preferred to have done so with a world title in the bag.

Another defeat for ‘The Midnight Train’ would see his journey back to fights of this magnitude far longer and potentially more troublesome with up and coming heavyweights waiting in the wings.

A setback can lead to a comeback, however, and Riakporhe will hope that at this new weight he can excel and put his strengths to punishing use.

It is a compelling clash with the natural punching Okolie up against the explosive Riakporhe.

Should the bout go late then the stamina of both will be tested with extra bulk on their back, but either way it’s a must watch.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Destructive power	Nullifies own strengths
Physicality	Clinching
Awkward	Work-rate
Explosive	Relies heavily on power