FRIENDSHIP OVER LOVE
Is boxer Richard Riakporhe dating Madonna?
Richard Riakprohe has spoken out on the rumours ahead of his upcoming fight
BRITISH boxer Richard Riakporhe has been all over the news since rumours started swirling he may be dating Madonna.
But is there truth to the rumours and how did the pair meet?
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Is Richard Riakporhe dating Madonna?
Richard Riakporhe is not dating Madonna.
He said in an interview that their relationship is strictly platonic.
Madonna was dating American football player Josh Popper.
The couple split up in May 2024.
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A source said about the break up: “Madonna has barely seen Josh for months because her schedule was so hectic. Things just fizzled out.
"There is genuinely no bad blood - they're still fond of each other.
"At the moment their relationship doesn't feel feasible and they've cooled things off, but they are staying friends."
What has Richard Riakporhe said about his friendship with Madonna?
Richard told The Sun: “She’s just a friend, just a friend.
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"I’m a gym rat so I don’t really have time to see a lot of my friends.
“She’s a great person, I know her quite well.
“Her whole life has pretty much been in the public eye.
"She’s good company. Madonna is Madonna!”
How did Richard Riakporhe and Madonna meet?
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Richard Rakporhe and Madonna met in 2023 when he was modelling for Burberry.
Madonna shared a picture of her sitting on his lap in October 2023.
She captioned it with "I had to sit somewhere" on her Instagram story.
He told the Sun about the picture: “It was just a party.
"That picture happened a while ago . . . She’s told me she wants to come to the fight.
"We’ll see if she can turn up.
“It all depends on a few other variables.
"That would be great to have her down.”
When is Richard Riakporhe fighting Chris Billam-Smith?
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Richard Riakporhe is fighting Chris Billam-Smith for the WBO cruiserweight world title on Saturday June 15, 2024 at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium in London.
He made his boxing debut in 2016, where he scored a four-round points decision victory over Jason Jones at the York Hall in London.
Richard's has fought seventeen fights in his career, from which he won thirteen by knockout and four by decision.
He said about the upcoming fight: “I’m really looking forward to the fight.
"It’s something I’ve worked my whole career for.
"Everybody comes into boxing wanting to become a world champion and I have my opportunity now, which I’m gonna take with both hands.”
When Richard was fifteen years old, he was stabbed in the chest outside a house party.
Due to his experience Richard set up a company, Richard Riakporhe Foundation, which focuses on talking to schoolchildren on positive thinking and the dangers of knife crime.
He is also a partner of charity Street Child, which helps kids to access education in struggling countries such as Nigeria, where his parents are from.
Richard said about his work with the charity: “They flew me out to north east Nigeria, around the area [terror group] Boko Haram operate, to do charity work with a displaced community caught up in the conflict.
“It was really sad, really eye-opening.
"They’ve been affected in every aspect, for example education.
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“When Street Child got involved, they trained some of the locals to teach them.
“I was really happy to be involved, to be able to support the community.”
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