Former super-middleweight champion, Carl Froch has criticised Lawrence Okolie after he lost his WBO cruiserweight world title to Chris Billam-Smith, in a shock defeat in Bournemouth.
Billam-Smith won a majority decision against Okolie, who was deducted two points for excessive holding and knocked down for the first, second and third time of his career.
Although it was a fairytale night for the Bournemouth local, it was coupled with disappointment at the performance of the previously unbeaten champion, who many believed to be the best cruiserweight on the planet.
On his Froch on Fighting YouTube channel, ‘The Cobra’ admitted that he had picked Okolie to win before the bout, and gave him some words of advice on how he can get his career back on track.
“I feel bad for saying it, but Lawrence Okolie – it’s not good enough.
You’ve got to believe in yourself, and you’ve got to try and let them shots go and stop holding, stop ducking low and stop being so awkward and messy. That works for you at times, but this is a boxing match and you’ve got to land shots. You have got to get behind that jab at times, you have got to throw shots that land, that are accurate, and stop holding.
If you can leave that part of your game to one side and bring in some more clinical, clean punches, you could potentially have a really good career, but I think your limitations showed tonight. Chris Billam-Smith has exposed your style and I think you need to go back to the drawing board and come back with better than that.”
Okolie has a rematch clause and straight after the defeat signalled his intentions to activate it immediately.