Former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie made the rather shock announcement that he had left behind the trainer he once shared with Tyson Fury recently and has now revealed what motivated that decision.
Okolie has already worked with some of the best in the game, including Shane McGuigan who helped the former Olympian hone in on the style that saw him lift the world title with a win over Krzysztof Glowacki.
After that he got residency in Dubai which meant that he could not continue his camps in the UK and so had to part ways with McGuigan who has always had a busy gym with many different fighters.
Okolie chose to start with Sugar Hill, the nephew of the legendary Emanuel Steward of the Kronk gym, and the same man who helped take Fury up a gear and win the second two of the three fights with Deontay Wilder.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Okolie explained the move.
“I don’t have a bad relationship with any coach I have or had. I keep it pretty professional but if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work. I hadn’t had a fight for a year, he was out in America and he said OK let’s have a little break.
“Fortunately, meeting Joe and going down that road, that’s where we’re at. Looking at the floors I think I have they are not necessarily too much technical. I
“‘m not perfect but I’ve done so much, I’ve been boxing 10 years now, I did the Olympics and the Worlds and it happened so quickly. I think the way I train, a lot of it is down to mindset.
“People see what I am able to do in sparring but it’s about translating it on the day. Joe tells me how it is and I like that.”