Lawrence Okolie Retains His WBO Cruiserweight Belt Against David Light

Nigerian-born British cruiserweight boxer, Lawrence Okolie defeated David Light as he successfully defended his WBO cruiserweight belt in Manchester on Sunday night.

In his first fight since switching from Matchroom to the Boxxer management team, Lawrence Okolie finally made a statement ahead of potential local fights and unification contests.

Although Okolie’s 19-fight winning run in the professional competition was not in danger during the bout against Light, the spectators seemed unimpressed with his performance.

Okolie fought like he was hesitant about his fighting position which is believed to be influenced by the fact that he was competing for the first time under Tyson Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward.

Despite his numerous clean shots on a determined Light, Lawrence Okolie was keen to remain on the defensive, making the match an awful spectacle.

The two rounds in which Okolie performed best were 10 and 11 when the Londoner stunned Light with a series of agonizing shots. But, he was forced to accept the judges’ verdicts of 116-112, 119-108, and 117-110.

Lawrence Okolie is a 30-year-old professional boxer who was born and raised in London by Nigerian parents of Igbo descent.

He has held the WBO cruiserweight title since 2021. At the regional level, he held the Commonwealth cruiserweight title from 2018 to 2019, and the British and European cruiserweight titles separately in 2019.

Okolie is known for his long reach, accurate jab, and punching power. As of July 2022, he is ranked as the world’s second-best active cruiserweight by The Ring magazine.