Ellie Scotney: Chris Billam-Smith is no gentleman in the ring – he can stop Richard Riakporhe at Selhurst Park

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Ellie Scotney will be rooting for Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith to make it a home loss for Richard Riakporhe when the two cruiserweights collide at Selhurst Park next month.

Catford’s Scotney, who holds two world titles at super-bantamweight, is part of the same gym stable as Billam-Smith and is also a Crystal Palace fan.

The 26-year-old will be cast in the role of a supporter in SE25 as Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith makes the second defence of his WBO cruiserweight title against Riakporhe on June 15.

The unbeaten challenger, from Walworth, outpointed his opponent in July 2019.

“If you spend two minutes in the company of Chris then you’d know why he has that nickname (of The Gentleman),” Scotney told the South London Press. “It is because of his character and the way he carries himself – everywhere but the time when he gets in the ring and that bell goes. Then that nickname is gone!

“We’ve had a conversation quite a few times about how he goes into a different personality and he is completely different to the way he is every day. He really loves that. It is a mad one – because it is so polar opposite to how he usually is.”

Billam-Smith’s only loss came against Riakporhe – a split-decision points verdict.

“I may be biased,” said Scotney. “It was one that genuinely could have gone either way – and I favoured the work of Chris.

“Shane (McGuigan, who trains both Billam-Smith and Scotney) knows that camp wasn’t the best going into that fight.

“When you compare the two fighters now – who they have gone on to fight and the progression – it is night and day. That old Billam-Smith would probably get stopped by the Chris that is here now.

“He has been matched perfectly. He’s had the sticky situations to deal with and is a different fighter. I think you’ll see that on the night.

“I think Chris can get him out of there (before the final bell).

“Riakporhe is very heavy handed and he carries that power in his right hand which will last the whole 12 rounds – it’s going to have the same effect whether he hits you with it in the first or last round.

“He has got world level power, without a doubt.”

Scotney’s most recent ring outing saw her add the WBO title and vacant The Ring belt to the IBF one already in her possession with a unanimous points win over Segolene Lefebvre in Manchester on April 13.

The South Londoner admits to a touch of envy that Billam-Smith, who has fought at the Cherries’ football ground, now gets to do the same at Palace, who finished 10th in the just completed Premier League campaign.

“I said to him: ‘You’re living my dream’,” said Scotney. “It will be bitter-sweet, for certain, that night. I’ll be on the subs bench at Palace, I’ll be the water girl.

“We’ve got Catford Town Hall… maybe Eddie (Hearn, her promoter) can sort me that out and I might just about sell it! I’d love to bring boxing to Catford. I don’t know how I’d do it – it is something I’ve thought about quite a lot. You’d need a tetanus to get in and a bullet-proof vest!

“Of course anyone would like to box at their home football ground. It’s just about what plays out.”

Crystal Palace light-heavyweight Craig Richards, also part of McGuigan’s fighting entourage, is due to face Willy Hutchinson in Saudi Arabia on June 1.

“I’ve said to Craig that if he goes out there and puts a big performance in then, who knows? He might headline for Matchroom at Selhurst. A rematch with (Joshua) Buatsi) – you heard it here first! That would be massive.

“The way your path plays out – what will be, will be

“I think I’ll be able to make it back stage, to the changing rooms, and see a good friend of mine (Billam-Smith) not only retain his world title but also revenge a loss.

“He’s doing the football tours himself and what a story it is going to be.

“He is going away and defending his title. The high he got doing that in Bournemouth, I think he’ll get it this time but in a different sense.

“Going into someone else’s backyard will get more out of Chris. I don’t think you’ll feel like the noise is all for Richard, either.”
Scotney still has two titles at her weight to mop up – the WBC and WBA – to become undisputed champion in her class.

“I’m a fighter and a person who is never really happy with their performance,” said Scotney.

“But that night against Lefebvre I was happy. What myself and Shane had been working on really came out to play. I was buzzing.

“I was that upset with my performance in my second fight, against Mailys Gangloff, that I went back into my changing room and I cried. That’s the kind of pressure I put on myself to get things right.

“It’s mad when you weigh it up like that. The other two times I was happy with the way I fought was my debut and my fifth one – against Maria Cecilia Roman.

“I definitely want to fight twice more this year. Momentum and activity is key – especially in women’s boxing.”