Eddie Hearn has hailed British boxing’s newest world champion Lawrence Okolie as a “real inspiration” after his cruiserweight title win.
Hackney’s ‘The Sauce’ produced a dominant performance against former two-time champion Krzysztof Glowacki at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday night, unleashing a devastating sixth-round knockout to claim the vacant WBO belt in just his 16th professional fight.
Such an achievement has left Okolie targeting swift undisputed status at cruiserweight level before a move to join manager Anthony Joshua in the heavyweight ranks.
The victory was an enormous milestone in a remarkable journey undertaken by the 28-year-old, who just nine years ago was working at McDonald’s and struggling with his weight before being inspired by Joshua and Usain Bolt’s performances at the London Olympic Games.
Okolie then pursued his boxing dream and went to his own Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 before turning pro in 2017 and then winning titles at Commonwealth, British, European and now world level.
“Just while we are here, let’s put it into perspective, said Matchroom chief Hearn after hailing Okolie’s performance against Glowacki as a “masterclass”.
“Not so long ago, he was a young man, in McDonald’s, working at Victoria Station, he was overweight, didn’t know where he was going.
“In 2012, he watched Usain Bolt and Anthony Joshua win gold at the London Olympics. They inspired him to try and change his life.
“He left that job, he chased his dream in boxing, he got to his own Olympics in Rio and then he won the British, the Commonwealth, the European championship. Tonight he wins the world championship.
“This is just an incredible story. It sounds like a story I’d make up, but this is a true story. This is a real inspiration to young kids today.
“Like he said, if you believe in yourself, you can do it. Shout out to Anthony Joshua, 258, they’ve got their first world champion themselves.
“For us, we saw a young kid with a load of talent, and we all believed when we sat down that he’d become a world champion. Tonight he made it happen, I’m super proud of him.”
