LAWRENCE OKOLIE will draw a line beneath a turbulent 13-month ring hiatus at the Manchester Arena this weekend whereas additionally returning to Sky Sports after leaving Matchroom for Boxxer in December. As it occurred, he would turn out to be the first of two excessive profile fighters from the Rio 2016 cohort to make that transfer with Joshua Buatsi following in his footsteps in latest weeks.
Okolie’s first battle back on the channel is a compulsory defence of his WBO cruiserweight title in opposition to 5/1 underdog David Light in a battle he’s anticipated to win and win effectively.
At 18-0 (14), Okolie is presently ranked at three in the world, behind solely former long-reigning 200lb king Mairis Breidis and the man who dethroned him final 12 months, Jai Opetaia.
Beating New Zealand’s ‘Great White’ Light, which he’ll, gained’t all of a sudden enhance him above both of these two however it’ll assist to get his toes back beneath the desk in the division and the Sky Sports platform after a 12 months of change outdoors the ring.
It was February of final 12 months that Okolie was final noticed in aggressive motion, outpointing Michal Cieslak over 12 rounds on a curious Sunday night DAZN present. It’s value noting they haven’t completed any Sunday reveals on this nation since.
Fast ahead 13 months and Okolie has left Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom steady and due to this fact DAZN too, is not educated by Shane McGuigan and seems to now spend his time primarily break up between the Middle East and USA.
It was Hearn who steered him to British, Commonwealth, European and world titles in simply 16 skilled fights whereas McGuigan has been his head coach for the final six of these. But since that Sunday in February, Okolie has determined to hunt pastures new.
That has led him to the ever-expanding Boxxer roster on the promotional entrance and to Sugar Hill Steward on the subject of his new coach. Light, who secured his shot at Okolie by way of an upset of Brandon Glanton in December, ought to present a fairly straight-forward introduction to life in these stables.
Okolie introduced the link-up with Steward final month and has since frolicked coaching alongside world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Okolie, already a famous straight puncher, ought to profit vastly from the Kronk teachings that Sugar Hill can impart.
Light, in the meantime, is 20-0 (12) and will probably be filled with confidence after edging his 10-round phonebox struggle with Glanton on a break up three months in the past. He confirmed abilities up shut and he might make life uncomfortable at occasions for Okolie, particularly if there are any indicators of ring rust.
But the Hackney man, who will probably be determined to make an announcement after a lot change over the course of the final 12 months, might get this completed in the center rounds if he finds his vary early and manages to keep away from a hugfest with the smaller man.
Elsewhere, in what might emerge as the battle of the night time, Manchester’s Michael Gomez Jnr faces Levi Giles for the English super-featherweight title. Grimsby’s Giles is undefeated in 13 however once-beaten Gomez, 28, has the better expertise and may win this 10 rounder on factors.
Gomez edged Brian Phillips over 10 rounds to retain his Central Area title in October however Giles has been out of the ring since July in what was one in all solely two fights final 12 months and has by no means boxed greater than eight rounds. But he and Gomez each know that this televised conflict on Sky Sports could possibly be their ticket to a lot greater nights over the subsequent 12 months.
That seems to be like the decide of a hefty undercard at the Manchester Arena, with Boxxer utilizing the present to present an extended checklist of their undefeated names a run out. At heavyweight Frazer Clarke takes on 42-year-old gatekeeper Rydell Booker over eight.
Clarke has been spitting feathers at a few of his opposition in his first 5 fights together with his first three skilled opponents lasting a mixed complete of simply 4 rounds. Kamil Sokolowski took him the six-round distance in November earlier than he despatched Kevin Nicolas Espindola in 4 this January. But Booker, who went the distance with Otto Wallin and Stephan Shaw final 12 months, ought to present no less than a couple of rounds.
It can be a giant night time for undefeated Yorkshireman Callum Simpson who fights for the first time since signing a promotional take care of Boxxer final month. At 10-0 (8), the 26-year-old has a shiny future and will probably be hoping to make an announcement in opposition to Celso Neves. The Portuguese customer went the full eight with Felix Cash in December so Simpson will probably be hoping to go one higher.
Talented Irish middleweight Aaron McKenna can be back in motion with Namibian Lukas Ndafoluma his opponent over eight. He was dropped en path to a large factors defeat to Brad Rea on his final journey to those shores 11 months in the past and it must be the same expertise in opposition to McKenna.
There are additionally outings for middleweight Shakiel Thompson, featherweight Rhys Edwards and light-weight Frankie Stringer over six whereas featherweight Karriss Artingstall is in six-twos motion. Samuel Antwi, who’s back in motion for the first time since shedding his British and Commonwealth title problem to Ekow Essowman in September, faces Omir Rodriguez over six too.
THE VERDICT – Okolie is beneath stress to impress after a tough 12-month interval of inactivity.
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