WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie crossed paths with domestic rival Richard Riakporhe and it was far from a pleasant meeting.
A video surfaced of the high-level UK cruiserweights colliding in a fiery confrontation, leading to both Okolie and Riakporhe having to be separated.
‼️ Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe clashing at the CREED III London premiere this evening… pic.twitter.com/fdIKYIRq8p
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 15, 2023
A second view captures more of the confrontation between the pair but also shows that stewards got over to them quickly enough to defuse the situation.
Unseen angle! 🎬@Lawrence_tko & @R_Riakporhe collide ‼️ pic.twitter.com/LUfoRdVr1r
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) February 15, 2023
Okolie holds a title that Riakporhe very much wants. Riakporhe has spearheaded BOXXER since they inked their deal with Sky Sports, and has shown that he is always improving and is ready for a world title shot. His last performance saw him produce a brutal fourth-round stoppage of former world champion, Krzystof Glowacki in January.
Okolie headlines the AO Arena in Manchester on March 25th, as he returns to the Sky Sports platform for the first time since September 2021 when he takes on mandatory challenger, David Light. This will be his first fight under new trainer, SugarHill Steward.
The stars came out for the premiere of the third installment of the Creed series last night in London as the highly anticipated movie hits screens in the UK on March 4th, however, no one expected this from the cruiserweight rivals.