Okolie’s banking on glory

LAWRENCE OKOLIE believes having the pressure of one more fight before his world title chance will help him claim the belt next year.

The Hackney fighter was due to face Krzysztof Glowacki for the WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday night at Wembley.

That was until the Polish fighter tested positive for Covid- 19 just over a week before the bout and his compatriot Nikodem Jezewski stepped in.

Okolie, below, made light work of Jezewski as he stopped him in the second round to stretch his record to

15 fights unbeaten as a pro.

Now he wants his shot for the vacant WBO belt against Glowacki early next year.

He said: “I don’t want to say I was nervous because he was unknown to me and he seemed confident.

“I’m happy to make some sort of a statement. He’s from Poland like my next opponent, so hopefully that sends a statement.

“I was ready, I believed I could have won the world title tonight. But it was, ‘ You have to win this one to guarantee it’ so I had to deal with the nerves and the pressure. That will help me. I’m ready to go next year.”

Hughie Fury overcame a nasty cut over his left eye to outpoint Mariusz Wach earlier in the night.

Fury, cousin of Tyson, showed character to beat Wach by a unanimous decision despite suffering the cut in the fourth round from a clash of heads.

He kept his cool to dominate the former world title challenger and his father and manager Peter Fury wants Marco Huck next as he plans a busy 2021.

Joe Joyce is expected to relinquish the European belt instead of defending against Huck and Peter wants his son to face the German for the vacant crown.

Hughie, 26, said: “I have been in with everyone but, to be honest, I was like a boy against men.

“Now I’m a man and this is just the start.”