South Londoner Richard Riakporhe will challenge for the WBO Cruiserweight World Title in SE25 at the top of a jam-packed schedule – but he will not be the first to step into the ring at Selhurst.
Some of the legends of the sport have graced south London, like International Boxing Hall of Fame member Len Harvey, who boxed in every available weight division throughout his career, and was world champion in the light-heavyweight division from 1939 to 1942.
Harvey fought 146 times, winning 122 times including in 1929 at Selhurst Park, when he stopped Frank Moody – a British Empire champion himself – in the sixth round at the age of just 21. It set up a shot at the British title, which he won three months later.
Throughout the Second World War there were boxing events held at Selhurst Park. As the Croydon Times reported in 1944: “Croydon has stepped right up into the front rank in big-time amateur boxing.”
More than 2,500 people were at Selhurst to see the bouts at the start of June, with the follow-up occasion attracting more than 4,000 – with the directors of Crystal Palace Football Club in attendance to watch the show.
It set the precedent for big events at Selhurst Park, with the record attendance for a boxing match in Croydon broken in 1948, when more than 6,00 people turned up to see Mark Hart fight Belgian middleweight Emile Dagreef.
In 1951, a right-handed punch to the jaw saw Eddie Thomas record a spectacular victory over Eric McQuade at Selhurst Park, and went some way to confirming London as the place to hold the biggest bouts.
“Before Thomas’ spectacular win, few promoters were interested in staging the Thomas-[Wally] Thom title bout,” said promoter Johnny Best. “Now they all want it. It’s going to be a big struggle for us to bring it to Liverpool…possibly at Liverpool’s ground at Anfield.”
Times have changed somewhat: when Richard Riakporhe walks out at Selhurst Park in June, it will not warrant a short column in the Croydon Times, but be broadcast live on Sky Sports and around the globe.
But he will be walking in the footsteps of plenty of fighters before him, and add to the rich tradition of boxing at Selhurst Park.
Click here to find out more about Selhurst Park's next big fight night on Saturday, 15th June.