Almost a year to the day since he was dethroned as WBO cruiserweight world champion, Lawrence Okolie ended Lukasz Rozanski’s unbeaten 15-0 record with a destructive first-round knockout win on enemy soil in Rzeszow, Poland. Now, he’s keeping his options open as a heavyweight move has again been teased – but has he done enough to settle at world-level against tougher opposition?
Okolie on the winning trail once again
- Perspective! Okolie on his newfound confidence: “I’m so talented, watching myself back sparring… no-one can hang with me but on [fight] day, shots are coming and I act as if I’m scared, this is boxing… you’re gonna get hit. I’m treating every fight like it’s my last, think I’ll get more KOs. I made good money, defended the belt often and got a bit complacent.”
- Seal of approval… Joe Gallagher, Okolie’s new trainer told talkSPORT: “He was destructive, great right hands and a right uppercut to finish, I’m really pleased. It’s nearly a year since he lost, paid with his own money to reside in Manchester and that shows me he had the desire, grit.”
- What’s next? BOXXER chief Ben Shalom hints at future Richard Riakporhe grudge match, says Okolie eyeing the domestic scene with Wardley-Clarke and former interim WBC champion Dillian Whyte among those linked
- Forward planning: Shalom confirms IBO lightweight world champion Caroline Dubois and heavyweight hopeful Jeamie TKV will be added onto June 15 bill for Chris Billam Smith vs. Riakporhe 2 at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium in bouts to be announced next week
JUNE 15 will be a mix of emotions for Lawrence Okolie, that much is clear. His former sparring partner and friend defends a cruiserweight world title which, up until twelve months ago, was firmly his own against a south London rival who he had a heated fracas with at the Creed 3 movie premiere in the capital last February.
While questions have been raised about the way BOXXER have handled his career during the year-and-a-half he’s been aligned with young promoter Ben Shalom, ultimately the 31-year-old needed to look inwardly and appears to have done so after a damaging first pro defeat against a man he’d often beaten up in sparring.
Bridgerweight, a buffer between cruiser and heavyweight divisions, isn’t recognised as a weight class in three of the four major sanctioning bodies nor by BoxRec. So while Okolie can technically declare himself a two-weight world champ after laying waste to Poland’s Lukasz Rozanski, it feels disingenuous to describe him as such.
How did he do it?
R1, 2:55 — Lawrence Okolie bt. Lukasz Rozanski via TKO to win WBC bridgerweight world title, scores first stoppage win since September 2021
This marked Okolie’s maiden first-round KO win for almost seven full years and while the hugging-and-holding criticism wasn’t too intense on his return, it’d be interesting to see how he chains together attacks when accruing more rounds – only then you’ll know whether that deficiency has been improved under Joe Gallagher’s guidance.
He bounced on the spot, veering back then forwards, from the opening bell and unafraid to exchange dirty boxing sequences in the clinch as Belgian referee Daniel Van de Wiele separated them. That tendency still happens too often for comfort.
Okolie caught the champion’s attention with a right-hand which stumbled him back into the ropes, before more inside fighting followed. The official appeared to warn Okolie as he again separated them, the Rzeszow crowd chanting for their home hopeful before the Hala na Podpromiu indoor arena fell silent shortly afterwards.
Rozanski was first floored with little over a minute left, Okolie timing a perfect straight right in the 38-year-old’s face. Still on unsteady legs and scrambling to recover, another right dropped the Pole who complained of being hit behind the head.
Left jabs, more body punching and a right hand to the head were landing before an uppercut was the finishing sequence on a storming night’s work for the Briton, the now-former champion pinned against the ropes and unable to defend intelligently.
Okay, but what’s next?
Okolie on his future: “My ambition is to have the biggest and best fights I can, I don’t say no to fights… if cruiserweights want to come up, heavyweights go down or whatever, I’ll box anyone. I’m going to perform way better, there will be a lot more force behind my punches and I feel more robust [at this weight], only going to grow into it. After another camp, I’ll be strong by year’s end.”
Shalom meanwhile: “Lawrence has been through a difficult time, moody and gaunt in fight weeks but is a different person now. He had so much criticism but is a real problem at a heavier weight. Believes he’s levels above Wardley-Clarke, the world’s his oyster now… you look back at certain decisions but take ego out of the room, it was time to move up – the rest of his career will prove it.”
Considering Johnny Fisher’s July 6 opponent Alen Babic is ranked #4 in the world at bridgerweight, it’d make sense for Okolie to position himself for another fight over the coming months on a big card – interim champion Kevin Lerena makes sense – if nothing else, to show fans and critics that he’s a changed man, for better.
Lerena gave Daniel Dubois a scare two years ago, and boxed brilliantly given the tragic personal circumstances leading up to his UD10 defeat by Justis Huni in Riyadh two months ago in a bout he could’ve conceivably won on the scorecards or with a late finish, having hurt the unbeaten Australian prospect multiple times.
Most of the overseas options, like American duo Jermaine Franklin or Michael Hunter appear much more difficult to negotiate with given their existing promotional ties and BOXXER’s struggles to co-promote events are concerned with the sport’s big guns. Martin Bakole aside, they haven’t really been at the Saudi table either.
Anyway, why run when you’re still trying to walk?
He has unfinished business on the domestic scene, where his earning potential appears its highest as far as future bouts are concerned. Excluding a Billam-Smith rematch given the scrappy nature of their first, prospective fights with Riakporhe, Frazer Clarke and British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley all create intrigue.
So long as he stays active and avoids distractions at a critical juncture in his career, those critics will turn to admirers like they have in Big Fraze‘s case recently.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via talkSPORT
Mo and Sports 