EXCLUSIVELawrence Okolie opens up on leaving Tyson Fury's trainer for a fresh start after his first loss... as he 公約するs to bounce 支援する by becoming Britain's first bridgerweight world 支持する/優勝者

  • Lawrence Okolie lost his world 肩書を与える to Chris Billam-Smith in his last fight
  • He has since switched trainers and is now 準備するing for another world 肩書を与える fight
  • Okolie is bidding to become Britain's first ever bridgerweight world 支持する/優勝者?

This time last year, Lawrence Okolie had just 完全にするd the third defence of his WBO cruiserweight 肩書を与える in a lopsided points 勝利,勝つ against Canada's David Light, and a 統一 fight appeared the next 論理(学)の step.

Instead, he 選ぶd to take a different 大勝する by defending his 肩書を与える once more against former stablemate and 国内の 競争相手 Chris Billam-Smith just nine weeks later, and things did not go to 計画(する).

Fighting in Billam-Smith's hometown of Bournemouth, Okolie never looked at the races and was knocked 負かす/撃墜する three times while also 存在 ドッキングする/減らす/ドックに入れるd two points for 持つ/拘留するing on his way to a 敗北・負かす on the scorecards.


Ten months on, and Okolie, now 19-1, is yet to return to the (犯罪の)一味. But that will change on May 24, and he has 選ぶd to jump straight 支援する in at the 深い end.

The 2016 Olympian will 直面する WBC bridgerweight 支持する/優勝者 Lukasz Rozanski in his 母国 of Poland, bidding to become Britain's first 支持する/優勝者 in the 分割 that was only created four years ago.

Lawrence Okolie (right) took on his former stablemate Chris Billam-Smith (left) last year

Lawrence Okolie (権利) took on his former stablemate Chris Billam-Smith (left) last year

Okolie was knocked down three times and docked two points as he lost to his domestic rival

Okolie was knocked 負かす/撃墜する three times and ドッキングする/減らす/ドックに入れるd two points as he lost to his 国内の 競争相手

He has reacted to that loss by splitting from Sugar Hill Steward (right), who also trains Tyson Fury

He has 反応するd to that loss by splitting from Sugar Hill Steward (権利), who also trains Tyson Fury

Okolie has thrown himself straight back in at the deep end by agreeing to fight the unbeaten Pole Lukasz Rozanski

Okolie has thrown himself straight 支援する in at the 深い end by agreeing to fight the unbeaten 政治家 Lukasz Rozanski

During his time away from the squared circle, Okolie has made some 重要な career 決定/判定勝ち(する)s, 確認するing his days at cruiserweight are done and leaving Sugar Hill Steward - who also trains Tyson Fury - to team up with Joe Gallagher.

Explaining the 推論する/理由ing behind switching trainers, Okolie 明らかにする/漏らすd that Gallagher's 運動 to 勝利,勝つ 納得させる d him that he was the man for the 職業.?

'I think Joe’s a 広大な/多数の/重要な trainer, he’s been trainer of the year in the past,' Okolie told Mail Sport.

'I trained with him when I was sparring Parker for Wilder and he was in the corner while I was doing that. His mindset is very much “I don’t care what you’ve got on outside of the (犯罪の)一味, I don’t care what you’ve done, we’re here to work and you need to work to 勝利,勝つ this particular fight”. So he’s got the 権利 mindset.?

'We’re also going to Poland so you want someone in your corner that wants to 勝利,勝つ as much as you do and he cares about it so I think it’s the perfect match for this.'

The 衝突/不一致 with Rozanski will 代表する a fresh start for Okolie, but he will have to go 支援する over some old ground by travelling to his 対抗者's backyard for a second 連続する fight.

He fell short against Billam-Smith last time out, but is 確信して he will get things 権利 when he takes on the unbeaten Rozanski, who has won 14 of his 15 一区切り/(ボクシングなどの)試合s inside the distance.

'I think I’ll 扱う it very 井戸/弁護士席,' Okolie said as he looked ahead to travelling to enemy 領土 once again.

'I’ve had the experience of ボクシング at Bournemouth where there were 15,000 Bournemouth fans that were all hoping that I lost, and for me it’s a 広大な/多数の/重要な 適切な時期 to 権利 that wrong, mentally, where I go to someone’s 支援する garden and I get the 職業 done.?

Okolie has teamed up with Joe Gallagher (pictured) and is convinced he is the right man to 
guide him to victory against Rozanski

Okolie has teamed up with Joe Gallagher (pictured) and is 納得させるd he is the 権利 man to guide him to victory against Rozanski

Rozanski will be fighting in front of his home crowd and has won 14 of his 15 fights by knockout

Rozanski will be fighting in 前線 of his home (人が)群がる and has won 14 of his 15 fights by ノックアウト

'I think it will be a 広大な/多数の/重要な story to tell my kids and I think I’ll relish it. This one here, I know it’s going to be a 敵意を持った 環境, I know I’ve beaten four or five ポーランドの(人) guys, a lot of their 最高の,を越す guys, I know that they’re going to be thinking that this is the time that they can get me, so I’m really pumped to go in there and make an incredible 声明.'

Okolie has now moved up to the 224lb-限界 bridgerweight 分割, but he still has his 注目する,もくろむ on the 負わせる class below.?

Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe are 始める,決める to fight each other later this year for the former's world 肩書を与える, and Okolie 明らかにする/漏らすd he would welcome a dust-up with either man if they can be tempted up to bridgerweight.

He also has his sights 始める,決める on a move to heavyweight in the 遠くない将来, and believes his fight with Rozanski will 準備する him for the step up to ボクシング's blue-riband 分割.

'It's all about taking it one fight at a time, but winning this fight 井戸/弁護士席 where this guy was once a heavyweight who’s come 負かす/撃墜する to bridgerweight, it would be a good step in the 権利 direction against a short, stocky, 厚い-始める,決める small heavyweight,' Okolie 追加するd. 'And then when it’s time to go up I’ll build into it over the next year.'

The heavyweight 分割 has come alive in 最近の months, with Fury and Anthony Joshua both 伴う/関わるd in 抱擁する crossover fights with Francis Ngannou over in Saudi Arabia.

Fury will 直面する Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed match-up just six days before Okolie steps in the (犯罪の)一味 with Rozanski in arguably the biggest heavyweight fight this century.

Okolie 推定する/予想するs his step up to heavyweight to come after Fury, Usyk and Joshua have called time on their careers, but the 31-year-old is excited to get himself into the mix sooner rather than later and 潜在的に become a three-負わせる world 支持する/優勝者.?

'I think it’s the best heavyweight scene that we’ve seen in 10年間s. It’s good to see the likes of Eddie [Hearn] and Frank 過密な住居 working together. I think the heavyweight 分割 is amazing 権利 now,' he said.

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to fight for the undisputed heavyweight title in May

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are 始める,決める to fight for the undisputed heavyweight 肩書を与える in May

Anthony Joshua has also returned to form, and Okolie has hailed the current state of the heavyweight division

Anthony Joshua has also returned to form, and Okolie has あられ/賞賛するd the 現在の 明言する/公表する of the heavyweight 分割

Okolie wants to get himself into the heavyweight title mix in the future after securing a world title at bridgerweight

Okolie wants to get himself into the heavyweight 肩書を与える mix in the 未来 after 安全な・保証するing a world 肩書を与える at bridgerweight

'I do think it’s only got another year, 18 months left of it because you’ve got the likes of Anthony Joshua, Usyk, Fury, they’re all 押し進めるing on to that point where they’re about to 潜在的に step out or they’ll start to take a 拒絶する/低下する so the likes of [Joseph Parker, [Daniel] Dubois and so on, those 指名するs are going to start coming up and starting to get world 肩書を与えるs.?

'It will be 利益/興味ing to get into the mix. I think those 指名するs that I について言及するd before are so 井戸/弁護士席-設立するd, they’ve paid their 予定s so they’re only going to fight against each other for eight-人物/姿/数字 paydays. The 残り/休憩(する) of us that are coming up after will have to duke it out.'

Okolie's 乗り気 to challenge himself against the very best is to be admired, and now he 直面するs his ultimate 酸性の 実験(する).

Another 敗北・負かす would be 堅い to take, and could leave him wondering where to turn next. But a 勝利,勝つ would put him 支援する on 最高の,を越す, with some 抱擁する fights on the horizon.

It's 沈む or swim time for Okolie, who is 決定するd to 証明する that one loss will not define him.?