Lawrence Okolie v Chris Billam-Smith - 27 May 2023

[Primo Carnera]

I know Okolie held on too much but to take so many points off him was not right.

The referee also was quick to count slips as knock downs, only the first was legitimate.

Okolie did not help himself but think he will win the rematch.

I haven’t watched the whole fight and watching the “highlights” I doubt I’ll bother.
Both these fighters, although game are definitely not worthy of being called a WORLD champion in my book.
Maybe the ref shouldn’t have deducted as many points , I don’t know. But all the knockdowns were legit.
If a punch connected , it’s a knockdown , it doesn’t matter if he slipped.

A slip is a slip, even if a punch is thrown at the same time.

If the punch connects, and the opponent goes down , the referee is well within his rights to count.

[Master]

I know Okolie held on too much but to take so many points off him was not right.

The referee also was quick to count slips as knock downs, only the first was legitimate.

Okolie did not help himself but think he will win the rematch.

I haven’t watched the whole fight and watching the “highlights” I doubt I’ll bother.
Both these fighters, although game are definitely not worthy of being called a WORLD champion in my book.
Maybe the ref shouldn’t have deducted as many points , I don’t know. But all the knockdowns were legit.
If a punch connected , it’s a knockdown , it doesn’t matter if he slipped.

A slip is a slip, even if a punch is thrown at the same time.

If the punch connects, and the opponent goes down , the referee is well within his rights to count.

Ref did it about 3 times. The first was correct but the other two were very quick to count as knockdowns.

[Master]

Lawrence Okolie making a move into the new bridgerweight division would be welcomed by the World Boxing Council.

The WBC created the weight class at 224lbs and believes it has "many virtues" despite the fact it is not recognised by any other world title sanctioning body.

Lawrence Okolie lost his WBO cruiserweight world title in a wild fight with Chris Billam-Smith. If he moved up to bridgerweight he would be ranked and get himself in the frame for a shot at the WBC title there.

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"Absolutely," WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Sky Sports. "That's one of the virtues [of the new division]. Just like Evander Holyfield, a cruiserweight then he grew into heavyweight, bridgerweight is another possibility for cruiserweights. To grow into bridger and eventually heavyweight."

He argues that this new division can be a route towards an eventual title fight at heavyweight.

"Absolutely, without having to give up, 50 pounds, 60 pounds [in an initial move to heavyweight]," Sulaiman said.

"Remember every bridgerweight fighter is also accepted as a contender at heavyweight. So it is a division that has many virtues."

The current bridgerweight titlist is Lukasz Rozanski who crushed Alen Babic inside a round to win the belt.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...0293433&ei=272