FILE – Britain’s Lawrence Okolie (L) celebrates winning the fight against Poland’s Nikodem Jezewski (R) during the cruiserweight boxing match at Wembley Arena in north west London on December 12, 2020. (Photo by ANDREW COULDRIDGE / POOL / AFP)
Britain’s Lawrence Okolie won the World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title with a spectacular sixth-round knockout of Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki at Wembley Arena on Saturday.
Victory meant the 28-year-old Londoner became the first male member of Britain’s 2016 Olympic squad to claim a professional world title, with Okolie unbeaten since joining the paid ranks.
He cut Okolie above the eye in the fourth round before a left jab in the first minute of the sixth set up powerful right hand that crumpled the respected Glowacki to the canvas.
The Pole’s only previous defeats in 33 professional bouts had come against the world-class duo of Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis.
But Okolie still managed to record his 13th knockout in 16 professional fights.
Afterward, he paid tribute to trainer Shane McGuigan, the son of former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan.
“It is crazy, I feel happy and blessed,” Okolie told Sky Sports. “It is surreal.
“I had confidence throughout the week, was very calm.
“Shane reminded me not to rush, and it went exactly to plan. I said I’d get it done between rounds five and eight.”
Okolie now wants to unify the division, with the first target International Boxing Federation belt holder Briedis, who knocked out Glowacki inside three rounds in 2019.
“I am growing into myself as a boxer. It is a process,” he added. “Out of the champions, Mairis Briedis is the one I’d most like to fight.”