Lawrence Okolie: Inside cruiserweight world champion's complete overhaul before WBO title defence

Lawrence Okolie is undefeated successful 18 fights and holds the WBO title

"I conscionable felt I wasn't being fixed the respect down the scenes that I felt I deserved."

Briton Okolie successfully defended his WBO cruiserweight rubric for the 2nd time, extending his undefeated grounds to 18 wins.

But erstwhile the 30-year-old returns to the ringing for the archetypal clip successful much than a twelvemonth connected Saturday against New Zealand's David Light, helium volition bash truthful without Hearn oregon McGuigan by his side.

Instead, Ben Shalom's Boxxer promotes Okolie's 3rd defence and manager SugarHill Steward, the antheral credited for turning Tyson Fury into an assertive beforehand ft fighter, volition pb his corner.

In mentation for his unbeaten challenger, Okolie has divided his clip betwixt Steward's Florida grooming basal and his caller residence successful Dubai.

The Londoner moved to the Middle East not agelong aft his narration with promoters Matchroom broke down. He had spent his full pro carer with Hearn and Matchroom.

"I started to negociate with my erstwhile promoter [Hearn] and I didn't similar what was coming back. I didn't consciousness similar a precedence and I felt similar I deed my headdress astatine that organisation," says Okolie.

"That was the archetypal request for change."

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Okolie reached a woody with Boxxer to beforehand his mandatory rubric defence against Light.

Matchroom inactive judge Okolie contractually owes them 1 much fight, which the champion is disputing.

"When you've got a powerhouse financially and legally similar Matchroom, they consciousness they tin bully you," says Okolie.

"Win, suffer oregon draw, I'm going to basal connected what I basal on. If I judge I'm right, I'm going to basal by that."

Okolie besides terminated his concern with 258, a absorption institution formed by two-time satellite champion Anthony Joshua.

"It ended much amicably [with 258], but it was the aforesaid [as Matchroom], you conscionable get to a definite stage," says Okolie.

"I cognize however overmuch I should beryllium getting paid and what fights I should and should not beryllium taking."

'I consciousness similar a pupil again'

Shane McGuigan (L) linked up with Okolie successful 2019 earlier splitting this year

The antheral present employed to assistance Okolie prime opponents is Steward.

The American is simply a world-renowned teacher of boxing who was schooled nether his uncle - the precocious legendary trainer Emanuel Steward - astatine the Kronk Gym successful Detroit.

Emanuel's methods got the champion retired of gangly powerfulness punchers with a agelong scope similar Lennox Lewis.

Okolie's 6ft 5in stature and 82in scope fits the mould of a emblematic Kronk fighter.

"A batch of what helium says I truly bash judge successful and I'm truly excited astir 1 time being capable to instrumentality everything we're speaking about," says Okolie astir his caller coach.

"This is 1 camp, truthful I tin lone adhd truthful much. I'm excited to triumph this 1 and past spot what much I tin adhd during the adjacent camp.

"I consciousness similar a existent pupil again," says Okolie.

"Not saying that I wasn't learning with Shane, but it's a full antithetic outlook.

"It's similar each boxing is science, but I've lone been learning biology, present I'm going implicit to chemistry."

The cruiserweight champion remains connected bully presumption with McGuigan and alludes to their separation being much circumstantial than a prime helium wanted to make.

"I nary longer bid successful the UK," says Okolie.

"There was a batch of worldly going connected successful England that was counterproductive to maine being a boxer and a boxing champion."

Okolie is present coached by American trainer SugarHill Steward

McGuigan was praised for improving Okolie's method and guiding him to a satellite rubric successful 2021.

Before joining up with Steward, Okolie asked McGuigan to bid him successful Dubai.

McGuigan, who is based successful London and trains an array of different fighters including heavyweight Daniel Dubois, declined.

Asked what Okolie loses by leaving him, McGuigan says: "Being astir radical who aren't successful it from a concern standpoint.

"Being astir radical who are successful it from a boxing standpoint. Not radical oregon lawyers hanging astir you trying to marque you into this commercialized business.

"If they're similar Lawrence Okolie and they privation to unrecorded successful Dubai for taxation reasons and acceptable up businesses and bid abroad, I can't halt that.

"I don't clasp immoderate grudges if that's your beingness decision."

Okolie admits fiscal reasons factored successful his determination to permission the UK.

But the prime to emigrate to Dubai, leaving down loved ones, has nevertheless been a hard one.

"It's pugnacious being distant from my mum. We speech connected the telephone adjacent capable daily. We're inactive successful changeless communication," says Okolie.

"Being distant from my mum and small sister and my friends and household successful England, that's been the hardest one.

"It's pugnacious but I judge it's lone for a period. I'm sorting a batch of worldly retired that's going to payment them.

"I consciousness similar a worker going to warfare oregon a businessman to work. It's achy for you and it's achy for maine - spot maine I don't bask it - but it's worthy it due to the fact that it's lone a abbreviated career."