SHAKEN ’N STIRRED
Light shock ‘tough’ but Okolie refuses to hold back
LAWRENCE OKOLIE admits he struggled when he heard David Light had suffered a stroke in the aftermath of their showdown.
But the WBO cruiserweight king says it has not made him fear about his own safety.
Okolie, 30, defends his title against old gym-mate Chris Billam-Smith at the Vitality Stadium tomorrow.
But he was shaken after Kiwi Light suffered a ‘mild stroke’ because of a blood clot when he returned home to New Zealand a week after his points loss to the Brit. Okolie said: “It was a tough time for me, I cannot lie, it was. My aim is never to hurt anyone. Once I knock someone down or out I hope they get up.
“What happened there was not nice, so it was great to hear that he made a full recovery. It did remind me how dangerous the sport is but you have seen throughout my career that I don’t take a lot of punches.
“I know these dangers can come from only one punch but I am never in wars of attrition.
“Although I would never think that something like that couldn’t happen to me, I do feel like it is a lot less likely.”
Okolie is looking to extend his winning record to 20 fights when he takes on Billam-Smith in Bournemouth. He will go up against his former trainer Shane McGuigan but one day he could be facing his former manager in Anthony Joshua.
Okolie split from AJ’s 258 MGT group this year and settled a dispute with ex-promoter Eddie Hearn recently.
But he is still on good terms with Joshua and as he eyes a move up to heavyweight one day, he would not rule out facing him. It comes after Tyson Fury was linked with facing IBF cruiserweight title holder Jai Opetaia.
The Londoner said: “I need to have a chat with him because if Fury is able to box f ***** g Jai Opetaia, then me and AJ could make millions together.”
■ DANIEL DUBOIS will face WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Poland on August 12 after the Ukrainian’s promoter Alex Krassyuk won the purse bid for the fight ahead of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. While Callum Smith will face WBO, IBF and WBC lightheavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on August 19 in Quebec City, Canada.