Former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion David Haye believes WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie can emulate him in the higher weight class and claim a world title.
London’s Okolie, who defends his WBO title against New Zealand’s unbeaten contender David Light tonight, has previously spoken of his plans to move up in weight.
While Okolie’s new trainer Sugar Hill said they will take things one fight at a time, Haye was left convinced that Okolie could cut it at heavyweight after watching Okolie spar heavyweight contender Joe Joyce several years ago.
Haye, who has tracked Okolie’s progress since he boxed in the Rio Olympics in 2016, said: “I believe he will be a very good heavyweight. Lawrence has the potential to do what myself, Evander Holyfield, and Oleksandr Usyk have done and win a heavyweight championship. I’d chuck him in there with any heavyweights and feel he’d have a better chance than most of the top 10 contenders currently.”
Okolie’s trainer Sugar Hill admits he was stunned how raw the cruiserweight champion was when they started working together, despite Okolie’s previous success
Detroit trainer Sugar Hill wants only one thing from his fighter Lawrence Okolie on Saturday night, and that is a devastating knockout of challenger David Light.
Okolie meets New Zealand’s 20-0 Light in Manchester, and Hill, who also trains Tyson Fury and Olympic gold medallist Ben Whittaker in England, said he’s found Okolie a willing student.
Okolie has failed to shine at times, but on other occasions, his power has stolen the show as he moved to 18-0 with 14 knockouts on his way to capturing the WBO cruiserweight title and making two defenses.
But Sugar Hill admitted he was shocked at just how raw Okolie was when he took the reins, despite Okolie’s previous accolades.
Hill said: “I’m very happy and very excited for Lawrence to go out there and show what he’s learned. I was impressed with his power and how he knew how to deliver punches with his limited knowledge of boxing.”
Okolie weighed bang on the 200lbs weight limit for Saturday’s fight. Light came in at 198 lbs and 5 ounces.
Benavidez focused on Plant, Plant aiming to knockout Benavidez in Las Vegas super-middleweight showcase
Ahead of one of the most-anticipated fights of the year, super-middleweight puncher David Benavidez has insisted that he does not see opponent Caleb Plant as a stepping stone to a big-money showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
The heavy-punching Benavidez has scored 23 of his 26 wins inside the distance but Plant is the best fighter he has met so far. Plant lost to Canelo in November 2021 at Saturday’s venue, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
But despite the lure of Canelo, Benavidez said his mind is on the job at hand and the 26-year-old is only concentrating on Caleb Plant.
Benavidez said: "If I’m focused on Canelo, I wouldn’t be 100 percent focused on Caleb Plant. We’re going to get to that.”
Plant, who has trained for almost four months for this weekend, does not have his attention anywhere else and says Saturday’s fight is personal.
“I really don’t like this guy and I really do want to shut him up so I’m going to be pushing for the knockout.”
Joshua unsurprised by the collapse of Fury-Usyk unification negotiations ahead of his April 1 return to the ring
Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua seemed less than surprised when talks this week broke down between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk over their proposed April 29 clash at Wembley Stadium.
2012 Olympic gold medallist Joshua returns to the ring on April 1 following back-to-back losses to Usyk when he meets Michigan contender Jermaine Franklin at London’s O2 Arena.
It is a comeback fight, and one that Joshua hopes will lead him back to the big time but of the negotiations between Fury and Usyk that imploded this week, Joshua said: “As much as I like to entertain that gossip and Fury situation, I have been there twice and people don’t remember that. It’s good that people can actually see what people have got to put up with to make a fight.”
As a result of the broken talks, mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois has called out Usyk, and Andy Ruiz has thrown his name into the hat to face Fury.
John Ryder says the pressure is on Canelo to perform in front of his Mexican fans when they meet on May 6 in Guadalajara
English underdog John Ryder says the pressure is on Canelo Alvarez ahead of their May 6 fight in Guadalajara.
Ryder has won four in a row, including victories over Danny Jacobs and Zach Parker, to earn his shot at the pound-for-pound star and the challenger is unfazed about traveling to Mexico. They will meet in front of a crowd of 30,000 at the Estadio Akron for the unified super-middleweight titles.
The Canelo fight is the one Ryder has coveted for years but he believes Canelo is the one with a point to prove after losing to Dimitriy Bivol and then failing to shine in his trilogy fight against Gennady Golovkin. It will also be Canelo’s first outing since surgery on his injured left hand.
Ryder, who recently came face to face with Alvarez to announce their fight on a two-city publicity tour, told ProBox News: “It’s his first time back home in 12 years, so I feel like the pressure is massively on him to come out and perform.”
Ryder has won 32 and lost 5 times in his 13-year career.
