BY BOXINGSCENE STAFF May 29, 2023 Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Cruiserweight contender Lawrence Okolie had an army of firsts last Saturday night at Vitality Stadium.
He went down for the first time, and he lost as a pro for the first time.
In a big upset, hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith secured a twelve round decision over Okolie to capture the WBO world title. During the bout, the entire momentum changed around in the fourth round, when Billam-Smith landed a big left hand to drop Okolie for the first time in his career.
As the fight went on, Billam-Smith would also drop Okolie in the tenth and eleventh. While Okolie agrees with the first knockdown, he disputes the two that followed in the second-half of the fight.
"I think the first one definitely [was a knockdown]," Okolie said to Sky Sports. "I remember thinking, 'Oh, good shot.' I remember when he landed, I think it was a left hook, I said, 'Damn, you got me.' By the time [the count] got to four I was alright and then carried on. The other two I didn't really feel like they were knockdowns.
"At the end of the day I shouldn't getting in those positions anyway. I should be standing up tall and boxing. So I've got to take those on the chin. Moments make fights. You get a knockdown, it boosts you for the next couple of rounds. "I hate losing. I'm a winner at heart. I was watching Lennox Lewis' documentary and I saw him take some Ls and come back and that's the kind of energy that I'm feeling right now. I'm going to be world champion again."
Okolie and Billam-Smith were friends and sparring partners under trainer Shane McGuigan.
Last year, Okolie would part ways with McGuigan and retained the services of veteran trainer SugarHill Steward.
"I like him as a person," Okolie said of Billam-Smith. "I would obviously have liked to beat him and knock him out but he got the victory here. I don't really feel any ill will towards him. I just want to get him back.
"I'll actually empty the tank early [in a rematch]. I wouldn't be trying to go points. I'll be trying to just get it done and whatever happens, happens."
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