Lawrence Okolie wears the WBO cruiserweight title after knocking out Krzysztof Glowacki
(Picture: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)Lawrence Okolie has become a world champion in only his 16th professional fight after emphatically knocking out Krzysztof Glowacki to claim the vacant WBO cruiserweight title in London on Saturday night.
It was an utterly dominant performance from the Hackney favourite - already with British, European and Commonwealth successes to his name - against a seasoned, battle-hardened two-time former world champion at Wembley’s SSE Arena, completely controlling the first five rounds before unleashing his supreme power at the midway stage.
Glowacki never looked comfortable in the face of Okolie’s huge height and reach advantage, being tagged with endless looping jabs and never finding any sort of range before the Polish southpaw - who absorbed heavy punishment in the fourth - ducked straight into an explosive right hand that left him laid out on the canvas with 46 seconds to go in round number six.
Glowacki got to his feet before the referee’s 10 count, but was never going to be able to carry on after absorbing such a powerful blow.
In winning a world title after only 16 pro bouts, Okolie matches Anthony Joshua’s early career exploits as he now plots swift cruiserweight unification and a move up to join his manager in the heavyweight ranks.
IBF champion Mairis Briedis is now firmly in the 28-year-old’s sights, with Ilunga Makabu (WBC) and Arsen Goulamirian (WBA) the other current cruiserweight title-holders.
In the chief support act of the night, Wales’ Joe Cordina made his eagerly-awaited return after 16 months away from the ring following hand surgery, winning a close decision against Faroukh Kourbanov.
Anthony Fowler stunned Jorge Fortea with a third-round stoppage to successfully defend his WBA International super-welterweight title, while Catford’s Ellie Scotney outpointed Mailys Gangloff in her second professional contest.
That was the same case for Ramla Ali against Bec Connolly, while Chris Billam-Smith came out on top in a war against Vasil Ducar, dropping the Czech fighter twice en route to winning the WBA Continental cruiserweight strap.
Undefeated middleweight prospect Bradley Rea also stopped Lee Cutler inside the first round in the first bout of the evening.
