Viddal Riley has insisted he is not "low level" as he prepares for his ring return and the seventh professional fight of his boxing career.
Riley has fought twice this year since signing with British promoter BOXXER and is continuing to step up his level of opposition as he looks to prove his worth on the stacked domestic cruiserweight scene. Riley grinded out a tough points victory over Willbeforce Shihepo in February before scoring a quick-fire KO win over Jone Volau.
With many potential domestic rivalries opening up for Riley as he continues to make progress, fellow undefeated star Luke Watkins took a dig at the star during a recent interview. Watkins told Sky Sports : "These people [Riley] are a waste of time. I'm interested in the winner of the British or beyond that. I'm not here to entertain the low level fighters who need my name for clout."
Riley, who has over one million subscribers on YouTube, has insisted that he is still taking small steps in the early stages of his career but isn't surprised considering his comparisons to Jake Paul.
"I don't know when Luke Watkins turned professional but I was probably in college or secondary school," Riley admitted to Mirror Fighting and other reporters ahead of his next appearance. "If they are talking about me and him now, then he should think that I am at a low level. He has been at this for a much longer time so for him to say he should be in a British title fight makes sense.
"He shouldn't focus on me, who is a 6-0 and is a prospect and is being compared to Jake Paul all the time. But at the end of the day, we all know that I am not a low-level fighter. My priority is to climb the ranks and improve, my goal is to be active and fulfil my potential. I have been told from when I was young that I can be a world champion, that is what I plan to fulfil and want to show that I can do."
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There are several fighters within Riley's stable who could prove big rivals further down the line including Chris Billam-Smith, Mikael Lawal and many more. And Riley feels he is well positioned as a cruiserweight in the domestic scene, with several huge fights likely to be made down the line in his career.
He added: "I think it is the best time to be a cruiserweight, there is a lot of conversation and the division has evolved. Now, domestically, people are becoming known and even from the world rankings they are originating from here. It goes to show we are producing great cruiserweight talent and I feel like I am part of the next gen and the new era. And hopefully there will be some big fights to come down the line that will be made."
