Okolie V Glowacki WBO 'World' title

[Master]

Cruiserweight star Lawrence Okolie returns to the ring later this month to face off against Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki for the WBO title.

Okolie, the sparring partner of Anthony Joshua, obliterated Nikodem Jezewski in December on the undercard to AJ’s win over Kubrat Pulev.

‘The Sauce’ has already claimed British and European Cruiserweight gold and is now looking to add the vacant WBO strap to his growing collection.

He is set to face Glowacki, a former WBO cruiserweight champion.

The 34-year-old has been out of the ring since June 2019 when he lost to Mairis Briedis but has the pedigree to provide a good test for Okolie.

This 12-round cruiserweight bout will take place on Saturday, March 20.

The ring walks are expected from 10pm UK time but that will depend on the undercard results.

The night’s action will be shown on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event.

Lawrence Okolie: “Ultimately, I just feel like whatever happens I am going to win; I feel good.

“You never know, he got knocked out in his last fight, so for the year he hasn’t fought the rest may have done him some good.

“I just think it has been a never-ending camp leading up to this, it has always been the same since my first amateur fight.

“I just need to stay active, continue pushing and the fitness I have ahead of this fight is not just about this one date, but all of the camps I have had before so it is a continuation of all the work I have put in.”

Okolie v Glowacki: Undercard
Lawrence Okolie v Krzysztof Glowacki – for vacant WBO World cruiserweight title
Chris Billam Smith v Deion Jumah – for Commonwealth and British cruiserweight titles
Anthony Fowler v Jorge Fortea
Joe Cordina v Faroukh Kourbanov
Solomon Dacres v TBA
Ramla Ali v Vanesa Caballero

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/8...ime-undercard/

[Master]

Lawrence Okolie backs Dillian Whyte to beat Alexander Povetkin in rematch, despite old sparring feud

Lawrence Okolie has told talkSPORT that he believes Dillian Whyte will get revenge over Alexander Povetkin in their rematch next week.

First, Okolie himself is set for his vacant WBO cruiserweight world title fight against Krzysztof Glowacki on Saturday night.

The bout is a big test for the 28-year-old to prove himself on the world stage.

If you’d had suggested two years ago that Okolie would end up securing a world title opportunity before Whyte, few would have believed you.

Back in March 2019, the pair engaged in an angry war of words over social media when Whyte called out Okolie for a fight with his friend Richard Riakporhe.

Despite being British cruiserweight champion, Okolie didn’t take kindly to being targeted by his domestic rival Riakporhe and instead declared that he would beat Whyte himself.

The irked Brixton man then replied and told his Hackney rival that they would see each other in person to settle this issue soon enough.

After some more back and forth, Okolie opted to post a clip showing 24 seconds of old sparring footage in which he claimed he was ‘slapping about’ Whyte.

At the time, Whyte was campaigning for a shot at Deontay Wilder which never materialised.

He finally earned the mandatory position, however was KOd by Povetkin last August and they are due to rematch on March 27.

Asked about his relationship with Whyte now, Okolie told talkSPORT’s James Savundra: “It is what it is. At the moment I’m a cruiserweight and he’s a heavyweight.

“We’re under the same [promoter – Eddie Hearn], but he’s not someone that I call or chat to.

“If I see him we might exchange a little, ‘hello,’ but secretly there’s a little stare here and there. It’s minor.

“I hope he wins, that’s one thing I can say, so I must like him a little bit!

“I think his mindset from what we’ve seen of him, he’s a warrior.

“He was instantly straight trying to get it back within three months so you’ve gotta hand it to him.

“I think he’ll have a bit too much about him, he just won’t make certain mistakes and I expect him to win.”

Regarding whether they could meet one day, Okolie concluded: “As soon as I go up to heavyweight, anyone can get it.

“I don’t wanna sort of bank on anyone’s names because that’s what I feel like people do with me so I don’t really like to do that.

“But ultimately, if that fight presents itself, it’s not one that I’ll shy away from.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/8...sparring-feud/

[Master]

LAWRENCE OKOLIE will be let loose on the big-money heavyweight division in 2022 to follow in mentor Anthony Joshua’s footsteps.

The 6ft 5in Hackney cruiserweight bids for the vacant WBO title on Saturday against tough to beat - and spell - Krzysztof Glowacki.

With the three other titles spread out around the division, the 28-year-old fears becoming undisputed champ is an unlikely honour.

So ‘The Sauce’ and promoter Eddie Hearn are planning to tear into the top ranks where Okolie’s manager and friend AJ rules alongside fellow Brit Tyson Fury.

The Matchroom boss said: “It is no secret with Lawrence that the end goal is to move up to heavyweight. Obviously, it is the most lucrative division in boxing.

“He has the power and size to do that, in time, but I feel he has a lot of unfinished business in the cruiserweight division, although he has only had a small number of fights compared to these seasoned world champions.

“Next week will tell us a lot about Lawrence Okolie, because Glowacki is a world class fighter, he’s a top five cruiserweight in the world, he’s been a world champion and I’ve just got the feeling that Lawrence is going to absolutely demolish him.

“And, if he does, that is such a huge statement I don’t see the need for many voluntary defences, because I only see him at cruiserweight for another year.”

Okolie was flipping burgers in McDonalds in 2012 when AJ’s Olympic win came on the television and inspired him to change his life.

Four years later he was at the Rio games, where he failed to medal, and was then snapped up by Watford’s WBA, IBF and WBO champ to lead his 258 management stable.

Okolie is on the cusp of being the first male world champ from that Team GB 2016 squad and the first protege from AJBoxing.

And Hearn, who guided Joshua from raw 2012 Olympic golden boy to heavyweight king, is loving the similarities between the super-dedicated pair.

“Listening to Lawrence reminds me so much of AJ,” Hearn added.

“After the Andy Ruiz Jr loss, AJ took full accountability for his career and himself to say 'I’m going to make these changes for myself now because I think this is what I need to do'.

“He’s obsessed with his own development now, so think about what he achieved before he put that into place.

“The encouraging thing is Lawrence has put this in place before he’s even become world champion.

“When AJ beat Charles Martin he didn’t have a clue what he was doing, compared to where he is now, in terms of his sleep, training, rest, recovery, psychology, the extra point one per cent.

"This is the level detail you have to go through if you want to be on top of your game.

“It makes me feel very confident in Lawrence because he’s doing those things now before he becomes a world champion. He’s been around AJ and seen these little things.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/14386...-dream-joshua/

[Batman]

Anna looking lovely as usual

[Beanz]

Anna looking lovely as usual

Mate you would say that even if she was wearing a bin liner

[Batman]

Anna looking lovely as usual

Mate you would say that even if she was wearing a bin liner

Yep, it is just standard procedure now

[Primo Carnera]

Anna looking lovely as usual

Mate you would say that even if she was wearing a bin liner

Yep, it is just standard procedure now

To be fair, she always looks great.