Who is Olanrewaju Durodola?
Facts you need to know about Richard Riakporhe's (12-0, 8KOs) next opponent Olanrewaju Durodola (36-8, 33KOs).
The cruiserweights clash for the WBC Silver championship at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday, November 20, 2021, live on Sky Sports.
Ahead of his first ever bout in England, BBN decided to dig up some facts about Durodola right here:
Olanrewaju Durodola was born on October 16, 1980, in Ilesha, in Osun State, south west Nigeria.
As an amateur, he competed at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games; Beijing 2008 Olympics; and 2009 Milan World Championships, all at heavyweight. He lost his only Olympic match to Cuban Osmay Acosta, who went on to win a bronze medal.
Even in the amateurs, the heavy-handed Durodola stopped the vast majority of his opponents. As a pro, he has stopped 33 from 36 victims, that's a 91.66% KO ratio, which is how he earned his nickname, 'God's Power'.
After concluding his amateur career, Durodola worked as a police officer in Nigeria.
His manager is Roland Jankelson, from Washington.
His first professional bout was scheduled for February 19, 2011 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, but that fight was canceled when his opponent withdrew at the last minute. He eventually made his pro bow on June 11, 2011, at the Memorial Hall against John Blanchard, who he knocked out in the very first round.
He then won nine fights within his first year as a pro, knocking out eight of them. All his fights were in midwestern states against Americans.
His first fight against a different nationality ended in defeat, when Uzbekistan's Akhror Muralimov (now 16-4, 13KOs) knocked him out in the fifth round of a schedued eight in June 2012. Muralimov went on to become a NABA – USA heavyweight champion.
Following his stunning victory over Dmitry Kudriashov (18-0) in Russia in 2015, Durodola won the WBC Silver cruiserweight title and was immediately honoured by Nigerian President Mohammadu Bahari, and also promoted by the Nigerian Police Force.
He has fought in 10 different countries – America; Ghana; Brazil; Nigeria; Russia; Latvia; Australia; Poland; Argentina; and now England.
His plan is to defeat Richard Riakporhe to get a return shot at current WBC cruiserweight champ Ilunga Junior Makabu, who he lost to in December 2020 in round seven. He believed he burned up too much nervous energy and excitement in his approach to that world title shot, stating, "I was too anxious to win, I was overanxious, and I wore myself out in the fight. I did too much work in the fight, I was not calm like I should have been and I did not take my time."
His defeats have come from some of the world's best cruiserweights including reigning WBC titleholder Ilunga Junior Makabu; world title contender Michal Cieslak; two-time world champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk; multiple WBC regional titleholder Maxim Vlasov; 'The Russian Hammer' Dmitry Kudryashov; three-time world champion and Muhammad Ali Trophy winner Mairis Briedis; world title contender and last holder of the WBC Silver title Thabiso Mchunu; and his aforementioned first ever loss to the then unbeaten Akhror Muralimov (11-0, 10KOs).
Stats
Age: 41
Fights: 42
Rounds: 149
Wins: 36
Losses: 8
Draws: 0
KOs: 33
KO Ratio: 75%
Height: 6ft 2 1⁄2 in (1.89 m)
Reach: 77in (196 cm)
World Rankings
WBC #5
IBO #11
BoxRec #17
Roll of Honour
West African Boxing Union cruiserweight title
WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight title
WBC Silver cruiserweight title
WBO Africa cruiserweight title
WBF cruiserweight title
African cruiserweight title
How to watch the Riakporhe vs Durodola cruiserweight title fight
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