Hall-of-Famer Holyfield captured world cruiserweight and heavyweight honours in thrilling all-or-nothing fights – and Lawrence Okolie has a similar philosophy to fighting.
The Hackney cruiserweight turned pro with Joshua after the Rio Olympics, blasted out his first four opponents inside a round and steps up to fight Isaac Chamberlain in a grudge fight at the O2 Arena on Saturday, February 3.
“I’ve got underrated skills,” said Okolie.
“I know I can box, but when I have those small gloves on, I want to go in there and get them before they get me.
“That’s how fighters like Thomas Hearns and Evander Holyfield used to fight.
“They used to go out there and fight with their heart on their sleeves.
“They always went for the knockout – and that’s me.
“I might get knocked out myself, who knows? But that’s the way I fight.”
Okolie believes his get-them-before-they-get-me attitude can help him become the best cruiserweight to ever come out of Britain and like Holyfield did, he says a move up to heavyweight is possible.
He’s 6ft 5ins tall, has a huge reach and if rumours are to be believed, he has the punch to trouble the top heavies.
There were reports that Okolie dropped Joshua in sparring before his world-title defence against Eric Molina in Manchester in December, 2016.
Feb 3rd the young lion headlines the o2 arena. March 31st the hungry king goes after more territory. 👑 What a start to the year 😍. #okolieboxing#ajboxing#pennybois#sauce#stayhungrypic.twitter.com/Ac5W1zmoQl
— Lawrence Okolie (@Lawrence_tko) January 14, 2018
Joshua has had a big role in Okolie’s career.
Okolie says that it was Joshua who convinced him to stay as an amateur and pursue a possible Olympic place when he was tempted to turn professional.
Okolie made a huge breakthrough in only his 16th amateur bout when he beat seasoned American Cam Awesome in World Series of Boxing and went on to qualify for the Rio Olympics after only 24 bouts.
His surge through the levels surprised everyone – apart from Okolie himself.
Josh Quailey sparred Okolie during Great Britain assessments in Sheffield and he said: “Lawrence used to say: ‘I’m going to win this event, go to the Olympics, win the gold and turn pro.’ We used to sit there thinking: ‘Is he as good as he thinks he is?’”
Quailey, now a pro heavyweight under Clifton Mitchell, admits he always found Okolie “an awkward spar” and he’s clearly a fast learner.
Okolie only started boxing in his teens after doctors handed him an ultimatum.
“I loved donuts and ice cream,” he remembered. “I was always sneaking into the kitchen for more food when mum wasn’t looking. That was me, that was what I did.
“I was weighing 120kgs and when I went to the doctors he told me I was obese and that I needed to lose weight.
“I was looking for a sport to take up and one of my friends said: ‘Why don’t you try boxing ?’ I fell in love with it. It stopped being about trying to lose weight. I wanted to fight.”
Okolie says the turning point in his amateur career was a stoppage loss to Felix Savon in the final of WSB in 2016.
“I had never really been hurt before,” he said, “and after that, I thought I can either be careful or aggressive.
“I chose to be aggressive.”
As ever, there’s been criticism of Okolie-Chamberlain topping a Sky Sports show on Saturday night.
Originally, Dillian Whyte was pencilled in to box on the show and anyway, who doesn’t want to see two unbeaten cruiserweights who don’t get on. It’s a boxer-v-puncher match up too.
Chamberlain has the skills, Okolie looks to land the right-hand bomb.
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Lawrence Okolie: I’m all about action, not talk!