Lawrence Okolie’s Heavyweight Showdown
This weekend, Lawrence Okolie will step into the ring at a staggering weight of 262.4 pounds for his showdown against Kevin Lerena. This figure marks a significant increase of over 60 pounds from his previous cruiserweight limit. Okolie, a former champion at both the WBO 200-pound and 224-pound categories, has noticeably bulked up since switching to heavyweight, a transformation aided by his trainer Joe Gallagher.
Okolie’s Recent Performance
After suffering a defeat to Chris Billam-Smith, Okolie momentarily competed in the bridgerweight division, where he made a striking comeback by knocking out Lukasz Rozanski in just one round, thereby securing the WBC title. Now boasting titles in two weight classes, Okolie’s ascent in mass raises eyebrows as he continues to defy the cruiserweight benchmark.
Upcoming Fight Details
In his heavyweight debut last November, he secured a straightforward victory against Hussein Muhamed. Now, as he prepares to face Lerena, Okolie has added even more weight, enhancing his advantage in this contest. The towering athlete appeared formidable at the weigh-in, clearly outmatching his South African opponent, who weighed in significantly lighter at 232.5 pounds. Lerena, like Okolie, also made the transition from cruiserweight, entering this match 30 pounds lighter than Okolie.
The clash between Okolie and Lerena will be for the WBC Silver heavyweight title and is part of the undercard for the high-profile matchup between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois II.
Event Highlights
With aspirations of climbing the rankings and potentially vying for top-tier titles by 2026, Okolie, at his current weight, will be a formidable opponent. In other bouts scheduled for the event, Oleksandr Usyk will face off against Daniel Dubois for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship, with Usyk weighing in at 227.3 pounds and Dubois at 243.8 pounds. Additional matchups include Daniel Lapin versus Lewis Edmonson, both at 174.13 pounds, and Vladyslav Sirenko against Solomon Dacres with weights of 256.3 pounds and 235.9 pounds, respectively.
For detailed coverage, results, and reactions from Wembley Stadium, World Boxing News will be on-site to report on the Usyk vs. Dubois event and its undercard highlights.
