CRUISERWEIGHT Richard Riakporhe is still haunted by the scars of the night he nearly died from being stabbed in his chest.
Olanrewaju durodola is Olanrewaju Durodola's opponent this weekend. He also has his sights set on a fight with Lawrence Okolie, the world champion.
Lawrence Okolie, 31, was in Lawrence's sights
Riakporhe almost died 16 years ago when he was still a schoolboy.
SunSport 2018 Riakporhe said that he was involved in street culture since the age of 12. He has been doing so for around ten years.
"This was what led me to seek pain, havoc and endless desire, as well as paranoia.
"I started to get into trouble with the police and ended up in prison.
"Also, I had a near-death experience of a traumatizing near-death experience after I was stabbed in my chest at age 15.
"I was at a party when a guy claimed that he had lost his phone.
"He demanded that my friend and I give him our phones, and began to stab us all if any of us responded in a hesitant way.
"He gradually stabbed us three times - my injuries were the most severe.
"The stabbing was life-changing for me, my family and I.
"I couldn’t do what a normal teenager would do, such as go to parties for a while just in case this happened again."
"I could not participate in activities such as playing football or fighting because I would feel faint. It was so traumatizing, I think back.
"But I was too young to understand the gravity of this situation so I viewed it as a life experience, not knowing how close I was to death."
Due to internal bleeding, the teenager required emergency surgery and was kept in hospital for five days.
He couldn't breathe because of the blood in his lungs.
Riakporhe doesn't know what happened with the stabber, and the aftermath is still murky.
He said, "Despite being stabbed in the back, the lure of the streets still drew me in.
"And when the streets pull at you, it's difficult to resist. "I kept getting into trouble as a result."
Riakporhe was traumatized at an age when most teenagers think about their GCSEs. He sought self-discipline, respect and a new way to express his feelings. This led him to the Lynn Amateur Boxing Club of Camberwell.
Riakporhe stated that he was always competitive and was constantly deciding whether to try out for boxing or football.
"But then I decided to go to boxing, because I knew I was meant to fight.
"Boxing was the perfect sport for me because it demanded respect from people.
Riakporhe says that boxing has changed his life, just like others with similar stories.
The Londoner's greatest life achievement is however not his Haringey Box Cup Gold Medal nor his unbeaten professional record.
Riakporhe enrolled at Kingston University in 2012 and received a BSc Marketing and Communications. This was something he didn't believe was possible.
He stated that he went to university after being advised by friends and colleagues and felt it would be great to have a backup plan in case the sport did not work out.
"It was very important for me because I never thought that I would ever attend uni. It was like breaking through a mental wall.
"This was my greatest achievement in life."
The 6ft 5ins cruiserweight has fought alongside Okolie and Chris Eubank Jr. While training, Dillian Whyte, his friend and mentor, and Mark Tibbs, he also spent time with Mark Tibbs.
He also sparred with Anthony Joshua, the unified world heavyweight who he first met in 2011.
The first spar was held during Joshua's preparations for the AIBA World Boxing Championships, Baku. Riakporhe said that AJ was destined be a world champion.
Riakporhe stated that Riakporhe is a strong puncher with great speed in his upper body. It was an incredible experience.
"I knew he would be, because even after completing camp in Sheffield, he would continue to train on weekends. He was determined to mastery even then."
