Okolie plans cruiserweight unification, then heavyweight run
Okolie meets Krzysztof Glowacki on Saturday.
Lawrence Okolie is a colossus of a cruiserweight at 6’5”, and he tells Sky Sports that he has his sights on a heavyweight run after taking care of business at 200 lbs.
“For me, it’s how comfortably I can make the weight. I don’t enjoy it,” Okolie told Sky Sports News.
“It’s not hard, it’s just I enjoy eating, full stop, so I have to be a little bit cautious. I have to go for long runs.
“I think I’ll be a lot more explosive as a heavyweight.”
The 28-year-old Londoner has spent virtually all of his four-year professional career at cruiserweight, weighing in at a career-high 210.25 in his third pro bout against Rudolf Helesic, and has come in below the 200 pound limit nine times in a row. Still, he clearly has the build to potentially hold his own against the big boys, though he acknowledges that there remains a lot to do before that move.
“I want WBO and IBF and WBC and WBA, so we’ll see how many I can grab while I can still make the weight, and then we’ll move up.”
“Really, it doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “Anyone that [promoter] Eddie (Hearn) can guarantee, I’ll take.
“If it’s Briedis next, I’ll take it, Goulamirian, I’ll take it. If it was Makubu.
“Any one of them, genuinely, I’ll go for.”
Okolie (13-0, 10 KO) can claim the WBO belt this Saturday with a win over former champion Krzysztof Glowacki (31-2, 19 KO). As far as the others, IBF champ Briedis appears to have the fewest promotional hurdles, having competed several times on DAZN during his pair of Super Series runs. He’s also probably the stiffest test of the three, followed in order by WBC champ Makabu and WBA “super” titlist Goulamirian.
What do you all think of Okolie’s chances?