LAWRENCE OKOLIE and Richard Riakporhe plugged their heavyweight clash with a row over hugging - and kissing Madonna. Both men were paid big money to join BOXXER and Sky Sports but cruiserweight boogieman Chris Billam-Smith beat them both to win and defend his 14st 4lbs cruiserweight crown. In his 2024 clash with CBS, Okolie turned fans right off by being docked points for holding twice and turning the bout into a hugfest, before being dropped three times and beaten on points.
![[Richard Riakporhe at a press conference.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/tense-moment-richard-riakporhe-gives-970858289.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
A year later, in an effort to flog his battle with Billam-Smith, Riakporhe posted a photo of himself kissing 66-year-old Queen of Pop, Madonna. Now both Londoners are rebuilding and rebranding up at heavyweight - against each other on April 5 - they dug up old dirt and slung it across the stage. Okolie revealed their rivalry started at a 2023 movie premiere when he walked over to Riakporhe and said: “Madonna is old now. That was it.
![[Madonna and Richard Riakporhe sitting together.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/tense-moment-richard-riakporhe-gives-970858302.jpg?strip=all&w=719)
“I don’t pay too much attention to eye contact and face-offs but he looks very nervous in and around me now. “I am just going to deal with him in good fashion. And then he can go back to kissing Madonna, or modelling, or whatever it is he does.". Riakporhe took offence at the verbal dig but vowed to keep his cool after giving Okolie a death stare. The South Londoner reminded the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester that Okolie has poor firm for grabbing and holding in big fights against CBS, Sam Sexton, David Light and Matty Askin, dating back to 2018.
![[Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe facing each other at a press conference.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/lawrence-okolie-richard-riakporhe-press-970840368.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. “I am not here to play around,” Riakporhe shot back. There is a big opportunity here to change my life around. “I am not nervous around him, the only thing I have to be worried about is that one of his big hugs might suffocate me. “That’s all that makes me scared or nervous around him. The only way he squashes me is another two-handed bearhug combination.”.
