Riakporhe glares at Turchi - 'Get ready for raw power!'

Richard Riakporhe cut a commanding no-nonsense figure as he stared down Fabio Turchi for the final time ahead of their cruiserweight title eliminator at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

With a world title fight beckoning at the end of the year, Riakporhe came in exactly at the 14st 4lb weight limit while his Italian opponent was just inside at 14st 3lbs and 5ozs amid his own pursuit of championship contention.

The 32-year-old is yet to be beaten in his professional career after extending his record to 14-0 with a brutal eighth-round stoppage of Deion Jumah, while Turchi's only defeat of his 21-fight record came in October 2019 against Tommy McCarthy, who was stopped by Riakporhe in the fourth round of their March 2019 clash.

"I feel really good, now the plan is to go to Nando's so I'm just waiting for my black card, excited," said Riakporhe. "The Midnight Train is coming, preparation has been excellent, I'm confident, I'm hungry.

"He (Turchi) has to be on point for that fight, any mistakes he's going to be punished and it's real power, you get different types of power. You get people trying to load up and stuff but this is real natural power, very explosive, that's what people come to watch me.

"I had two camps back-to-back with southpaw sparring partners so I think this is actually perfect for me.

"I'm the best. It's as simple as that."

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Zak Chelli (12st), who recently quit his job as a teacher, and Germaine Brown (11st 15lbs) delivered an icey face off while both promised knockout finishes to what teases fight of the night potential as the pair battle for the English super-middleweight title.

In response to Brown's suggestion he would be on the backfoot, Chelli said: