Former UEL scholar Lawrence Okolie delivered a stunning sixth round knockout against his opponent Krzysztof Glowacki to claim the vacant WBO Cruiserweight world title in just his 16th professional fight. This victory came in what was Okolie’s first world title bout. It was against a two time former cruiserweight world champion, Glowacki, who is six years his senior and has had more than double the amount of professional fights.
Proving his Pedigree
Nicknamed ‘The Sauce’, Okolie put on a dominant display in the fight, keeping Glowacki at distance, never really giving the former world champion an opportunity to land anything of real significance. Okolie used the first three rounds of the fight to get a feel for his opponent, but from the fourth round onwards his intensity increased as he looked at ease in the ring. His right hook and jab were excellent and very effective tools.
Previously Okolie has been criticised for his style, and with this being the highest level he has fought at so far in his career, he really showed any doubters his true pedigree. After the fight, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Okolie said: “It’s important that I become one of Britain’s best cruiserweights and I have the opportunity to do that. This was a good win but there are more tests ahead.”
The Journey
An East London native, Okolie, who grew up in Hackney, initially took up boxing to improve his self esteem and lose weight after being bullied as a teenager. Okolie’s story of his rise to prominence in the boxing world is quite a remarkable one, just nine years ago he was working in McDonald’s. Inspired by the successes of both Anthony Joshua and Usain Bolt, at the London Olympics in 2012, Okolie decided to chase his dream in boxing. After going to Rio with Team GB in 2016, Okolie turned professional in 2017 and has since gone on to win titles at Commonwealth, British, European and now world level.
Hearn’s Delight
Promoter Eddie Hearn was full of praise and respect for Okolie in his post-fight interview. “We all believed when we sat down that he’d become a world champion. Tonight, he made it happen, I’m super proud of him.” Okolie is currently managed by heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and his management company 258 and is now the first world champion on the books of 258 to have achieved such a feat. Coming from the stable of a fighter he once looked up to as an inspiration certainly emphasises the speed of Okolie’s rise to stardom.
Future Ambitions
Discussion will now turn to what is next for Okolie. For a long time, many felt his pathway was to unify the cruiserweight division before stepping up to heavyweight, and after his victory, Okolie confirmed this is still what he sees as the next steps in his career. “I’d like to be regarded as the number one at cruiserweight, and then go up, win the bridgerweight world title, that must still count, and then eventually go up to heavyweight and win the heavyweight world title.”
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