Hackney-born Lawrence Okolie defended his WBO cruiserweight title with a points victory over Polish boxer, Michal Cieslak.
Despite being in front of a home crowd at the O2 Arena last Sunday, it was Okolie’s opponent who enjoyed most of the support. Cieslak used this to his advantage and survived all 12 rounds of the fight, turning the contest into a scrappy affair.
From the outset, the hometown hero’s intentions were clear. The 29-year-old came out swinging and looked to end the bout almost as soon as it had begun. Okolie landed a big right hook, rocking the Pole early in the first.
Cieslak managed to make it through the round but was on the back foot.
Despite this, it wasn’t until the fifth round that Okolie really troubled Cieslak again.
The Sauce, as Okolie is affectionately known, had struggled to time his right hand, but midway through the fifth caught his opponent with a huge punch. Cieslak dropped to the floor, having to use his competitor to drag himself back up from the canvas.
Once again, this put him on the defensive. The 32-year-old began to clinch onto Okolie even more, not allowing him to make full advantage of his extra three-inch reach.
Both fighters began to tire as the fight reached its conclusion. The fight became slower and scrappier as they lumbered towards the 12th round bell.
It was the first time Okolie had gone the full 12 rounds in a fight, but the Brit had done enough to win on the judges’ scorecards: 117-110, 116-111, and 115-112.
Okolie praised his opponent for his performance. He said: “The right hand… He was tucking under it very well, so I was trying to find different angles.
“He had a lot of grit. I thought when I dropped him in the fifth that I’d close the show.”
The fight was certainly not a classic and Oscar Bevis, correspondent for IFL TV, was not impressed.
“Okolie’s second defence of his WBO title wasn’t one that will live long in the memory,” said Bevis. “Cieslak was pinged early and spent the remaining 11 rounds doing everything he could to cut Lawrence’s range.”
“The Pole was billed by many as the number one contender outside of the belt-holders, which perhaps highlights the lack of depth on the world scene at 200lbs.”
It’s unclear what Okolie’s next step will be, but Bevis believes – especially after this fight – that a change in weight class could be on the cards.
“Maybe Lawrence will have to prematurely make the expected jump to heavyweight to seek the fights he wants.
“If that is the case, you can’t help feeling an opportunity has been missed for Britain to have a genuine undisputed champion.”
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