Lawrence Okolie is poised to defend his WBC bridgerweight title against South African contender Kevin Lerena. However, his trainer Joe Gallagher has ambitious plans, hoping to attract some of boxing’s heavyweights, such as Deontay Wilder, into the ring for a significant matchup.
Okolie secured the bridgerweight belt by delivering a first-round knockout against Lukasz Rozanski in Poland in May. This victory marked his first fight under Gallagher's guidance.
Gallagher focused on addressing Okolie’s previously inconsistent performances by refining his mindset to adopt a more aggressive approach. They analyzed a classic bout, specifically Tommy Hearns' knockout of Roberto Duran, to inspire a similar display of dominance.
"That’s what I wanted from him. He’s got a lot of height, a lot of reach, a lot of power, and he’s got a bit more confident with it and he went out there and executed the game plan."
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Okolie was pleased with the outcome, and Gallagher emphasized the excellent preparation and training camp they had. Training in Manchester at Gallagher’s Gym, Okolie, who resides in Dubai, focused on going back to basics.
"We brought Rocky to Apollo Creed’s gym, we went back to basics and on the night he did what I wanted him to do," Gallagher added.
Aside from Lerena, there are potential matchups with WBA bridgerweight champion Evgeny Tishchenko. However, the real financial draw would come from enticing a notable heavyweight to compete in the relatively new bridgerweight division. Gallagher sees potential in matches with fighters like Deontay Wilder, who could aim to become a two-weight world champion, or even Oleksandr Usyk, who fought at a similar weight before his bout with Tyson Fury.
Okolie's only career defeat came at the hands of Chris Billam-Smith, who claimed the WBO cruiserweight title from him last year. There was talk of Okolie facing Richard Riakporhe if he had beaten Billam-Smith in June. However, Gallagher confirmed that those days are behind them.
"Them days have gone, that division. We’ve moved on. Lawrence is on another journey now."
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