THE RESULT: Lawrence Okolie showcases his power and drops Lukasz Rozanski three times to become WBC Bridgerweight champion with five seconds remaining in the opening round of their contest in Rzeszow, Poland.
KEY MOMENTS: The early stages of the first round showed Rozanski’s over-eagerness and in doing so was tailor-made to be caught by Okolie’s booming right hand. Three knockdowns in less than 60 seconds proved the vast gulf in quality between the two. The Brit could display his devastating power and did so to great effect. Okolie capped off his brief showing with a brutal uppercut which folded his opponent in between the ropes which eventually prompted referee Daniel Van de Wiele to wave the contest off.
RECORDS: Okolie records his 20th win and moves to 20-1 (15 KOs). The inactive Rozanski is now 15-1 (14 KOs).
TALKING POINT: The new weight (an extra 20-plus pounds) did Okolie the power of good. No longer having to boil down to the cruiserweight limit ensures the former Olympian could become the destructive force he was once tipped to be.
QUOTABLE: “I think this is the best moment in boxing for me. New weight, putting the KO back in Okolie,” the winner said afterwards.
The ex-WBO Cruiserweight champion later shared his experience of collaborating with his new trainer for the first time. “I must give credit to Joe Gallagher. Initially, I despised the entire training camp, I won’t deny it. However, each day brought something new. He stood by my side every single day. Today, it all became meaningful and justified.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Okolie is using his new weight class as a stepping stone before moving to heavyweight where he wants big fights. To do so he may need to wait for the landscape to change in the marquee division so don’t be surprised if ‘The Sauce’ sticks around at Bridger for a bit longer.
