A former world champ at both cruiserweight and bridgerweight, Lawrence Okolie says he now wants to become world heavyweight champion – next year. “The Sauce,” speaking to The Star, said that as a heavyweight who has moved up from cruiserweight, he has to “put it on these guys,” meaning his heavyweight opposition.
The first step in the ranks will take place in London on December 7, with 31-year-old Okolie to face once-beaten German big guy Hussein Muhamed. After that, Okolie says it won’t be long before he gets in there with the big names of the division. And, like all fighters moving up in weight, Okolie says he will be better, stronger, and more powerful up at heavyweight.
“I will be bringing big performances at heavyweight,” Okolie said. “In my early cruiserweight days before I was draining myself, I was putting on knockout performances nine times out of 10 but then it started to fade as we went on. From the spars I’ve had with heavyweights, I know I can do it. I want to show this explosive power. I think talking about it is one thing but it is about doing it. I’m not doing an identity change but my style has to change now being a heavyweight. I have to hit them hard and often to get their respect……I have to put it on these guys. My whole life has been about the next step. When I was working at McDonald’s it was about getting to the Olympics. Now my aim is to be world heavyweight champion. I want that next year.”
It will be interesting to see how the 6’5” Okolie looks in his heavyweight debut and how he looks and impresses us in his following fights. Can Okolie get a heavyweight title shot as soon as next year? A win over a top-10 opponent must come first, surely. But Okolie is right when he says talking about it and doing it are two different things. In some of his performances, Okolie, 20-1(15), has looked great, while he has looked almost dreadful in other fights he’s had.
Which version of “The Sauce” will we see as Okolie fights at heavyweight?
