Lawrence Okolie Targets Move To Heavyweight And Three-Weight World Champion ‘Legacy’
Lawrence Okolie says he will soon set himself “new goals” by moving up to heavyweight as the British fighter aims to become a two-weight world champion in Poland on Friday.
Okolie (19-1-0 14 KO) is the former WBO cruiserweight champion having won the belt in 2021; he defended it three times before his first professional defeat – a majority-decision loss to Chris Billam-Smith in his most recent fight in May last year.
The 31-year-old from London has moved into the new bridgerweight division – which has a weight range between 200lbs and 220lbs – and will fight WBC world champion Lukasz Rozanski in Rzeszow on Friday.
Okolie is the favorite to beat the undefeated Rozanski (15-0-0 14 KO), who claimed the title with a destructive first-round knockout of Croatia’s Alen Babic in April last year.
Should Okolie live up to the pre-fight expectation and become a two-weight world champion, the British boxer admitted he will need to focus on new and bigger targets – specifically a move up to heavyweight.
Okolie Seeks ‘Legacy’ Fights
“To be a two-weight world champion, but I genuinely believe I’m close to becoming that, so I need to set myself new goals and new reasons to want to push myself in training,” he told Sky Sports.
“No matter what has happened in my career, I’ve had some great fights, and I’ve had some poor fights but if I can end my career as a three-weight world champion then that’s legacy, that’s forever.”
The heavyweight division witnessed history last Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where Oleksandr Usyk became the first undisputed world champion in 25 years – and first of the four-belt era – with a thrilling split-decision win over Tyson Fury.
With Usyk now holding all the titles and a rematch against Fury set to take place in October, Okolie is realistic about his chances of facing one of the division’s leading fighters for a world title.
However, the IBF is expecting to strip Usyk of its belt due to his contracted rematch with Fury and failure to face mandatory challenger Filip Hrogivc. That could open an opportunity for Okolie and other prospects for a shot at a world title.
Okolie Not Hopeful Of Fighting Usyk Or Fury
“I’d love to fight them because I’d get paid multi millions of pounds. It would be interesting going in as an underdog and seeing how I rise to that occasion,” Okolie said.
“I’m quite realistic in the fact that I don’t think I’ll box any of those guys, they’ve only got another year or so of boxing each other before they sail off. It’s the ones underneath, the [Filip] Hrgovics and even [Joseph] Parkers that are going to be at world level when it’s time.”
With all the talk about a move to heavyweight and becoming a three-weight world champion, Okolie insists his only focus is on Friday and becoming a two-weight champion.
“If the opportunity came [against Usyk] absolutely. I just don’t think it will,” said Okolie. “I wouldn’t mind who it’s against, just to know I’m a three-weight world champion, to know I did it. I could retire, look back, my titles would speak for themselves.
“My son seeing me win these belts is more important than money. Money isn’t the motivator anymore. If my son ever searches up my name it would be about teaching them life lessons about being knocked down then coming back and winning a world title.”
