Lawrence Okolie insists he will silence the boo boys by becoming a big-hitting heavyweight star.
The former WBO cruiserweight champion is confident he will become an entertainer in the sport’s glamour division. Okolie, 31, will make his debut in the top division on December 7 against the little-known Hussein Muhamed.
The Hackney-born puncher failed to deliver thrills in his latter days as a cruiserweight, even in wins over the likes of Michal Cieslak and David Light. Then came a points defeat to former gym mate Chris Billam-Smith to surrender his WBO crown in the division.
Those performances sparked talk that Sky Sports were unwilling to have Okolie headline shows – a claim the fighter claims to be untrue. But there’s no doubt he wasn’t entertaining and a world title win at the recently-formed Bridgerweight division against Lukasz Rozanski did little to warm fans to him again.
Now he’s among the big boys and signed with Frank Warren, he’s promising to shine. “I will be bringing big performances at heavyweight,” he said.
(Image: Getty Images)
“In my early cruiserweight days before I was draining myself, I was putting on knockout performances 9 times out of 10 but then it started to fade as we went on. From the spars I’ve had with heavyweights, I know I can do it. I want to show this explosive power. I think talking about it is one thing but it is about doing it.”
Okolie insists trainer Joe Gallagher – who he teamed up with earlier this year – is helping him convert his style. He said: “I’m not doing an identity change but my style has to change now being a heavyweight.
“I have to hit them hard and often to get their respect. Every heavyweight that gets in is going to look at me as a cruiserweight and think they can run me over.
“Joe tells me to step on it now when I go to move away, which I would do at cruiserweight. Now I’m heavier, I have to put it on these guys.”
Okolie’s story is well told of how he went from working in McDonald’s watching Anthony Joshua – who he is still up for fighting one day – to becoming a champion but he still has the hunger to succeed.
“My whole life has been about the next step,” he added. “When I was working at McDonald’s it was about getting to the Olympics, then when I did that it was becoming world champion.
“I did that at cruiserweight. Now my aim is to be world heavyweight champion. I want that next year.”