Lawrence Okolie has exclusively unveiled his bold plan to make British boxing history in a matter of months.
On Friday Okolie announced a promotional deal with Frank Warren’s Queensberry and will now campaign as a heavyweight.
Okolie is moving up to heavyweightRex
The 31-year-old initially established himself as a cruiserweight and became a world champion in 2021 when he stopped Krzysztof Glowacki to win the WBO belt.
After he lost his WBO cruiserweight world title to Chris Billam-Smith in May last year, Okolie immediately moved up to the newly-created bridgerweight division.
Okolie’s became the WBC bridgerweight world champion last May when he stopped Lukasz Rozanski.
However, not all of the major boxing organisations recognise the new 224lbs division, meaning there is debate as to whether Okolie is a two-weight world champion or not.
Regardless of the debate, Okolie is motoring ahead after he vacated his bridgerweight world title and has his sights set on becoming just the fourth Brit to become a three-weight world champion.
“I’m in a great position where I’ve been world champion twice in two different weight classes,” Okolie told talkSPORT’s H&J.
“I’m aiming to be a world champion in a third weight class in a division where there’s a lot of big fighters at different stages of their career. Up-and-comers who are making a real name for themselves now, top-of-their-game fighters, and finally fighters that are maybe on the tail-end, but still names. So it’s a great mix.”
Should Okolie pull off the feat, he will join Bob Fitzsimmons, Duke McKenzie and Ricky Burns in the rarefied air of being the only Brits to be three-weight world champs.
The 31-year-old has already been catapulted up to fifth in the WBC’s heavyweight rankings, meaning there will be no easy fights for him from the get-go.
However, it hasn’t stopped Okolie from outlining his three-fight plan to achieve his dream, beginning with a bout at the end of this year.
Okolie’s status as a two-weight world champion is a topic of debate in boxingAndrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“If I go out there and perform well in December, then I’ll be straight into a top-five heavyweight fight which should be the fight before a world title shot,” Okolie said.
“I’m ranked number five in the WBC, especially being bridgerweight WBC champion recently, so winning a fight against a [Agit] Kabayel or a Joseph Parker basically lines you up for a world title straight after.
“I would say a normal fight in December, a big fight in February or spring time, and then by summer next year getting a world heavyweight title.
“That’s my plan, anyway.”
Even if Okolie gets past his first two fights, there’s plenty of dominoes to fall which will shape the heavyweight title picture.
Oleksandr Usyk defends his WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles in a rematch against Tyson Fury in December.
Should Fury claim victory, a trilogy fight could be on the cards.
There’s also IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois waiting in the wings having defended his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September.
Usyk and Fury will fight for the second time in DecemberIan Walton/Matchroom
Regardless of what happens with the heavyweight titles, Okolie cannot afford to overlook his first test, whoever, that may be, in December.
Even though it will be Okolie’s first heavyweight bout in eight years, it won’t be a completely alien experience given some of his sparring partners in recent years.
Due to the lack of high-level cruiserweights out Okolie could spar, he was often pitted against heavyweights during his training camps.
These also weren’t just domestic level heavyweights, either.
“Joe Joyce, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, the list goes on,” Okolie said.
Okolie has sparred both Joshua and Dubois on multiple occasionsGetty
“There weren’t many cruiserweights when I was in training that would be able to actually spar me, so I had to spar bigger guys to get that good work.
“Now it’s gone from sparring to ten ounces and having a tear-up.”
