London-born Nigerian fighter, Lawrence Okolie has WBO world cruiserweight champion after knocking out Krzysztof Glowack in the sixth-round with a huge right hand at SSE Arena in Wembley on Sunday.
Following his victory, Okolie has now won all of his 16 matches, winning 13 by knockout.
The 28-year-old emulated the likes of Tony Bellew, David Haye and Johnny Nelson, who previously held world crowns in 200lb class. He also equalled Nigerian heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua‘s swift rise to world champion in only 16 fights.
Okolie hit Glowacki with a jab followed up with a right hand, which pushed the Polish back onto his heels in the opening round. The Nigerian then used his longer limbs as an advantage, stabbing out jabs and stinging body shots in the second round and third round.
He again used his height and reach to never allow his 34-year-old Polish opponent close. He started unloading his right hand in the fourth, which wobbled his 34-year-old opponent.
Jolting jabs punished Glowacki whenever he strayed into punching range in the fifth round before Okolie brought an abrupt ending to the fight in the following round.
A destructive right hand dumped Glowacki on his back and he clambered unsteadily to his feet, prompting referee McDonnell to signal Okolie‘s triumph.
Okolie speaking about his victory after the game, stressing;
I think I might cry in my hotel room, but not in front of anyone. It’s a blessed feeling. It’s crazy.it’s important that I become one of Britain’s best cruiserweights and I have the opportunity to do that. This was a good win but there are more tests ahead.
Okolie has come a long way in every sense. Bullied in his teenage years, he used boxing to build self-esteem and shed weight. He saw Anthony Joshua claim the men’s super-heavyweight gold medal and vowed to turn his life around.
After an Olympic appearance in 2016, his early years as a professional were the focus of harsh words and ridicule when a run of fights descended into drab, scrappy affairs.
However, Okolie‘s work ethic in the gym and desire to improve have impressed and a run of slicker displays thrust him into a world-title fight that he dominated from start to finish.
