Latest news with #LawrenceOkolie
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Okolie names two-man shortlist for his next fight after Usyk-Dubois undercard win
Lawrence Okolie has revealed who he is aiming to fight next as he bids to become a three-weight world champion. The former cruiserweight and bridgerweight champion claimed a lopsided points win over Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk 's heavyweight clash with Daniel Dubois at Wembley. He is currently No 1 in the WBC's heavyweight rankings and is one of a number of fighters hoping for a shot at Usyk in the near future. But Okolie has his sights set on two other contenders before taking on the heavyweight king. Asked who he would ideally like to face next, Okolie told Sky Sports: 'It would be [Agit] Kabayel. He's the only person who's higher ranked than me with the WBC.' Kabayel is unbeaten and currently holds the WBC interim belt after knocking out Zhilei Zhang in his last fight. Okolie is also eyeing a domestic dust-up with Fabio Wardley. His fellow Brit came from behind to stop Justis Huni last month, and Okolie believes the two knockout artists would produce an exciting fight. 'Aside from [Kabayel], it would probably be Fabio Wardley. The reason why that one's interesting is because he's a British fighter, who's [19-0-1 with 18 KOs]. 'He's explosive, and it's a fight where I have to be at my absolute best to win. I like that one.' Okolie suffered a torn bicep in the early stages of his fight with Lerena, but still did enough to get his hand raised as he maintained his perfect record at heavyweight. He will now need time to recover from his arm injury, yet he's already looking ahead to future fights in boxing's blue-riband division. Okolie has only lost one of his 23 professional fights when he was beaten by Chris Billam-Smith in 2023. The 2016 Olympian has since bounced back to secure three straight wins. DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 LIVE RESULT: Main event on NOW with huge heavyweight rematch underway
OLEKSANDR Usyk and Daniel Dubois are going head-to-head in a huge undisputed bout at Wembley Stadium RIGHT NOW! The Ukrainian controversially beat DDD in their first fight back in August 2023 - Dubois floored Usyk in the fifth round, but the punch was deemed a low blow by the referee, who then allowed The Cat almost four minutes to recover. Usyk went on to savagely stop the Brit in the ninth round and maintain his stunning unbeaten record. The WBA (Super), WBC and WBO champion will be looking to regain Dubois ' IBF strap and become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. While Dynamite can become Britain's first undisputed heavyweight champ since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Follow our live blog below... 11 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 10) This is the last-chance saloon for Lerena you feel. The card will definitely go Okolie's way, Lerena needs to pull a miracle out of the bag. Both fighters exchange punches but neither is really rocking their opponent on their feet. 16 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 9) Everyone wants to see a big finish from Okolie now. He has had everything his own way in this fight, now is the time to really stamp his authority. He catches Lerena with a big right but he wears it well. 19 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 8) Okolie still looks to have plenty in the tank. Lerena is leaving himself open, with his guard down, inviting Okolie to come forward. Unless something special happens in the next two rounds, it is hard to see how Lerena is getting a decision here. 23 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 7) Okolie throws a big right hand through the defence of Lerena. He catches him square in the face but wears it well. That one advance seems enough to have won the round for the Brit. 24 minutes ago By Kieran Davies JP in the house for fight Jake Paul is here tonight and has been talking to DAZN about his plans for his next fight. He has told the broadcaster that is he is going to fight Anthony Joshua. The fight will take place at Wembley and according to the influencer turned boxer it is definitely happening. 27 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 6) This fight seems to be locked in a grey area right now. Lerena is struggling to get on the front foot himself but on the same note, despite his domination, Okolie does not seem to be troubling him with his punches. Towards the end of the round, Lerena catches Okolie with a nice left hand. 30 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 5) Okolie is looking dominant in this fight. Lerena just cannot find his footing in this one. It is all too easy for Okolie to control the tempo right now. 31 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Update on future fight Speaking ringside, Connor Benn has said that his planned rematch with Chris Eubank Jr is off, with regards to the scheduled September date. He told DAZN that Eubank Jr needed a few months toget ready. It now looks like this one is being earmarked for a November date. By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 4) Lerena seems to have a cut that can be worked by Okolie. Looking at the replay it seems it was caused by his own gloves, suchh is the punching power of Okole. His punch was blocked by Lerena but still caused his damage. 39 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 3) There is no doubting Okolie is bossing the early rounds. He is showing good discipline and picking his punches. Okolie is trying to work the uppercuts. Lerena is struggling to make his mark on the fight. 44 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 2) Okolie is getting some shots through the middle. He is firing shots off and then when inside, leaning on Lerena. You can see the tactic is to try and wear him down in the early rounds. 50 minutes ago By Kieran Davies Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena (Round 1) Okolie lands some body shots before letting his hands loose. The Brit lands some good head shots in the process. Both of these fighters are known for their knockouts, seems nailed on that we will end up going all ten rounds based on that info.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena: Start time, TV channel, stream as Okolie continues heavyweight journey
LAWRENCE OKOLIE is set to clash Kevin Lerena in a HUGE clash! The bout takes place on July 19 and is LIVE from Wembley Stadium! 3 3 The pair are set to clash on the undercard of the hotly anticipated rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubios. Lawrence Okolie comes into the clash with a stunning record of 21-1-0, with 16 of his 21 victories coming by KO. He most recently fought around the corner at Wembley Arena against Hussein Muhammed. South African Kevin Lerena comes into the clash with even more wins at 31-3-0, but with 15 KO wins, holds less than his opponent. The KO Kid was a victim of Daniel Dubois in 2022. SunSport has everything you need to know about the HUGE clash. Usyk vs Dubois 2 - All the info OLEKSANDR USYK and Daniel Dubois meet again in a blockbuster heavyweight unification fight at Wembley Stadium THIS SATURDAY! Usyk won the first fight in August 2023 via a ninth round KO - but only after Dubois knocked him to the canvas with a body blow that was ruled a low blow. Dubois, 27, has improved massively since that first meeting, reeling off stunning wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the big fight... INFO All the info for Usyk vs Dubois 2 Ticket availability and price LATEST NEWS & FEATURES Inside Dubois' camp - fuelled by Ascot wins and ancient Greece Tyson Fury announces shock trilogy with Usyk Usyk makes change to camp for first time in 12 YEARS What time is Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena? Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena takes place at Wembley Stadium. It is the chief support act for Usyk vs Dubois 2. The broadcast will get going at 5.30pm BST. Ring walks for Okolie vs Lerena are expected around 8.45pm BST. Ring walks for the main event are expected at 9.45pm BST. How to watch Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena takes place on Saturday, July 19 at Wembley Stadium. It will be part of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 card, and will be available to watch on DAZN PPV. The card comes in at a price of £24.99. It can be watched on DAZN TV or live streamed via the website / app. Alternatively, follow along with SunSport's comprehensive blog of all the action. Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena full card Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena is part of the Oleksandr Usyk on vs Daniel Dubois 2 card. Five other fights are set to appear on a stacked card from Wembley: Card subject to change Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois for the WBC, WBA, WBO & IBF heavyweight titles Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena in a heavyweight clash Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson in a light-heavyweight clash Andrii Novytskyi vs Vladyslav Sirenko in a heavyweight clash Lasha Guruli vs James Franci in a super-lightweight clash Aadam Hamed vs Ezequiel Gregores in a super-lightweight clash 3 How to get tickets for Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena Tickets for Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2, including the Lawrence Okolie vs Kevin Lerena clash, remain very limited, with over 83,00 already being sold. However, if you want to be at the clash, there is still time. Tickets remain limited for the fight, with some available on StubHub - the cheapest seats cost £30 at the time of writing. There are also hospitality seats via Seat Unique, with prices from £175 at the time of writing.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Lawrence Okolie celebrates victory with his belt after he knocks out ... More Hussein Muhamed during the WBC Silver Heavyweight title fight between Lawrence Okolie and Hussein Muhamed at OVO Arena Wembley on December 07, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by) The heavyweight title unification rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois is nearly upon us. The Usyk vs. Dubois 2 fight card takes place on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Usyk puts his WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight titles up for grabs in the rematch. As for Dubois, he will enter his second fight opposite Usyk with the IBF title in his hands. At the end of the scrap, the winner will walk away as the undisputed heavyweight champion, a title Usyk held once before. We look at the undercard for the upcoming Usyk vs. Dubois 2 boxing card. Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Main Event Oleksandr Usyk (23-0-0) vs. Daniel Dubois (22-2-0): For Usyk's WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles and Dubois' IBF heavyweight title Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Undercard Lawrence Okolie (21-1-0) vs. Kevin Lerena (31-3-0): For Okolie's WBC silver heavyweight title Daniel Lapin (11-0-0) vs. Lewis Edmondson (11-0-0): For Lapin's IBF Intercontinental and WBA Continental light heavyweight titles Lasha Guruli (1-0-0) vs. James Francis (7-1-0): Super lightweight Aadam Hamed (5-0-0) vs. Ezequiel Gregores (3-24-0): Super lightweight Vladyslav Sirenko (22-0-0) vs. Solomon Dacres (9-1-0): Heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card Time: 12:30 p.m. ET Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card Location: Wembley Stadium in London, England Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card How to Watch Or Stream: DAZN pay-per-view Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Fight Card Streaming Cost: $59.99 Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Undercard MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 10: Lawrence Okolie looks on during the Queensberry Show Announcement ... More Press Conference at Co-op Live on February 10, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben) Lawrence Okolie (21-1-0 with 16 knockouts) is a former WBO cruiserweight champ. The 32-year-old lost that title in May 2023 to Chris Billam-Smith via majority decision. Okolie was a 4-1 favorite to retain his title in that matchup. Okolie had two points deducted during the contest for holding. In May 2024, Okolie won the WBC bridgerweight belt with a knockout win over Lukasz Rozanski. He vacated that title in October, and moved up to heavyweight to face Hussein Muhamed, winning the vacant WBC silver heavyweight belt with a first-round knockout. The IBF has Okolie ranked at No. 15. He is the No. 1 fighter in the WBC, and checks in at No. 4 in the WBO rankings. South Africa's Kevin Lerena (C) celebrates after wining the WBC bridgerweight boxing match against ... More Ukraine's Serhiy Radchenko (unseen) at SunBet Arena in Pretoria on May 1, 2025. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP) (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images) Kevin Lerena (31-3-0 with 15 Kos) picked up the interim WBC bridgerweight title in November 2023 with a unanimous decision win over Senad Gashi. The 33-year-old followed that with a unanimous decision loss to Justis Huni in a bout to determine the WBO Global heavyweight champ. Lerena was elevated to WBO bridgerweight champ after Okolie vacated the belt. He defended that title in May, earning a third-round TKO over Serhiy Radchenko. Lerana said of the fight, "He is a very good boxer, he is a long, rangy is going to throw a lot of backhands, a lot of long right-hands and he is going to work behind his jab. But I have the knack of taking the jab away and I have got the knack of making them miss and making them pay. 'I am by no means a technical, awkward, boring southpaw,' he added. 'I come to fight but I think I need to be calculated in my approach with Lawrence. I will come to fight but I will come to fight with precision and no mistakes, there is no room for error in there and there is definitely no room for mistakes against Lawrence Okolie.' Lerena is unranked at heavyweight. Okolie is a -230 betting favorite over the +168 Lerena. Daniel Lapin Vs. Lewis Edmondson Two undefeated light heavyweights face off on the Usyk vs. Dubois undercard when Daniel Lapin faces Lewis Edmondson. Lapin (11-0 with four knockouts) won the vacant IBF Intercontinental light heavyweight belt in December when he defeated Dylan Colin via unanimous decision in a safe but effective performance on the Usyk vs,. Fury 2 undercard. Edmondson (11-0 with 3 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Oluwatosin Kejawa. That victory earned him the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title. Lapin is a -450 betting favorite over Edmondson, who is the +290 betting underdog. Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois face off during a press conference ... More ahead of the Undisputed IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Heavyweight Titles' fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois as part of Undisputed: Usyk v Dubois II at Wembley Stadium on April 29, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) Usyk (23-0 with 14 knockouts) and Dubois (22-2 with 21 KOs) first faced off in August 2023. Usyk won that matchup via knockout in the ninth round, but there was some controversy with that victory. A body shot from Dubois put Usyk on the deck in the fifth round, but the punch was ruled a low blow. Usyk came back to finish the fight. Dubois and his team appealed the outcome of the fight, but WBA ruled against them, stating: 'After studying all the documents, the conclusions of all the instances and the internal rules of the WBA, it was determined that the appeal does not proceed and the decision of the fight stands with the victory and defence of the champion Usyk.' Since that matchup, Usyk has gone 2-0, beating Tyson Fury in both outings, picking up a split decision in May 2024 and a unanimous decision in December 2024. Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion with his first win over Fury, but he was forced to give up the IBF title before the rematch. Dubois is 3-0 since his loss to Usyk with knockout wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgović, and most recently Anthony Joshua. Dubois claimed the vacant IBF title with his June 2024 win over Hrgovic. He defended that title in September 2024, stopping Joshua in the fifth round. Dubois entered the ring after Usyk's second win over Fury to demand a rematch. 'I want my revenge! I want my revenge, Usyk,' Dubois said, interrupting Usyk's in-ring interview. 'Well done tonight. God bless, but I want my revenge. Let's get it! Let's go!' Usyk looking for promoter Turki Alalshikh, said, 'Make a fight with Daniel Dubois. Thank you so much.' 'Yeah, no problem. I'm ready. Next fight, no problem,' Usyk added when he got back to his interview. 'Now I'm going back home for a little bit of rest, but I'm ready.' The Usyk vs. Dubois 2 matchup, which was reported by The Ring, overcame a potential stumbling block earlier this month when the WBO received a petition to allow Usyk to face Dubois rather than mandatory challenger Joseph Parker. ESPN has Usyk ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer, while Dubois is No. 3 in the heavyweight rankings. We will have more on the Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Daniel Dubois 2 fight card as fight night nears.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The boxer who survived helicopter crash and testified at Pistorius trial
With the crushing weight of loss and grief pressing down on him, Kevin Lerena sank heavily into the couch in his dressing South African heavyweight had just gone the distance in a razor-thin contest against Australian prospect Justis Huni in Saudi Arabia. He rocked Huni in the final round but could not land the decisive most boxers, coming so agonisingly close to victory is tough to swallow. For Lerena, though, there was a sense of deep relief.A day earlier he received the devastating news that his mother had died in South Africa."I was just glad that the fight was over and I could go home and lay my mother to rest," he told BBC fact that Lerena stepped into the ring at all speaks volumes about his mental strength, but he says withdrawing was never an option."I was not at home to be with her when she suddenly passed, but I kept quiet and put on my strong armour to represent myself, my country and my family," he added."It was tough, though. It took an emotional toll on me. I'm only human and I felt it in the fight. I felt drained and fatigued."On 19 July Lerena will face Briton Lawrence Okolie at Wembley Stadium in the latest chapter in an extraordinary life full of highs, lows and true cinematic has dropped a future heavyweight world champion three times in the first round. He has walked away from a helicopter crash. And he has been a key witness in one of the most high-profile murder trials of the 21st Century. 'I gave Dubois his toughest fight' Born and raised in Johannesburg, rugby was Lerena's first passion. But when that dream faded he shifted focus to boxing and discovered a talent for 32, he has racked up 33 professional wins with three defeats and is no stranger to the big fight fans will remember Lerena for nearly pulling off a seismic upset against Daniel Dubois - the current IBF heavyweight champion - at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in was floored three times inside the first round, visibly stunned after the first knockdown and nursing what appeared to be a knee pressed forward but Dubois dropped him in the third and finished it with a barrage that forced the referee to intervene."I was fighting back but the referee stopped it," Lerena reflected."It was what it was. I can't harp on about it. In my mind, I know I gave Daniel his hardest and toughest test to date."Lerena's strong performances against Dubois and Huni raised his reputation as a credible heavyweight Fury is a fan and enlisted Lerana for sparring in the build-up to the Briton's two fights against Oleksandr Usyk. Lerena distances himself from Pistorius case Lerena could be a much bigger name if he chose to lean into the headlines his life has generated but says that is not his "style" and he would rather distance himself from his 2014 he appeared in courtroom testimony during the murder trial of Oscar testified that Pistorius was responsible for a gun being fired at a restaurant a year before the Paralympic sprint champion shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp."It was a negative time. I do not want to bring negativity into my life, and I do not have any affiliation with those people," he said."What happened then during that time for Oscar and for the Steenkamp family was terrible, but it's got nothing to do with me and I don't believe in building your profile on such events."Later, Lerena mentions walking away from a helicopter crash with minor injuries in 2021, an experience which would define most but for him is just another footnote."It was a training accident. I have got my pilot licence. It's a pity because it shouldn't have happened," he said."We were doing a simulation, and the conditions were wrong and a lot was against us. But I guess if you put yourself in those situations there is always that risk." Okolie up against the 'warrior spirit' Lerena goes into the ring as the underdog against former cruiserweight world champion Okolie. A victory over the Londoner would only add to his remarkable Lerena does lose, though, it will not be for want of heart or effort."I have that warrior spirit. I always try my best to dig deep. I have not been handed a silver spoon in life and I have not been handed a silver spoon in boxing either," he Lerena is clear he wants his fists to do the talking, his life - from near-death experiences to courtroom drama - has played out like a Hollywood who would play him in a movie, Lerena picks Twilight star Taylor battles may not involve vampires or teenage angst but - outside of the ring at least - Lerena's story is every bit as dramatic.
