Okolie Dominates Rozanski to Become Two-Weight World Champion
In a commanding performance, Lawrence Okolie (20-1, 15 KOs) dominated and dismantled Polish challenger Lukasz Rozanski in his hometown to capture the WBC bridgerweight world title. The victory marked a successful start to Okolie’s new partnership with renowned trainer Joe Gallagher.
Okolie, the former WBO cruiserweight champion, traveled to Rzeszow, Poland, with a clear mission to prove his worth. The British boxer delivered emphatically, producing three heavy knockdowns in the opening round courtesy of his powerful right hand. The fight was stopped at the 2:55 mark, crowning Okolie as the new WBC bridgerweight titleholder.
“I’d like to see a unification. There’s a WBA unification fight there [against Tishchenko],” Gallagher revealed to Sky Sports.
Gallagher also noted that Okolie’s current weight is already comparable to that of established heavyweights like Deontay Wilder and undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. However, the trainer emphasized the importance of unifying the bridgerweight titles before considering a move up in weight class.
“There are also small heavyweights out there like Deontay Wilder, who weighs around 15 and a half stone [220lbs] and Usyk, who weighs 15st 13lbs [223lbs]. I’m not saying we are fighting Usyk, but Lawrence is right there at the moment with the weights for heavyweights. It has got to be a natural progression, but I’d like to see him unify this [WBC title] with the WBA champion, then move into the heavyweight division.”
While the bridgerweight division may not be the most fashionable, Gallagher and Okolie plan to make the most of the opportunity before potentially pursuing a move to the heavyweight ranks.
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