It’s not the Richard Riakporhe fight. But Lawrence Okolie will have to dispatch David Light to defend his WBO World Cruiserweight title. Okolie, fighting in the same city he made his debut in, is lined as a large favorite per the boxing lines. Barring Okolie coming in unprepared, this should be another dominant win for the champ.
Okolie Can’t Overlook Anyone
Everyone including Okolie wants the Riakporhe fight, especially after they did their best impression of Creed III during the London premiere. Riakporhe has been targeting Okolie and it will be quite a showdown. No doubt, this is in Okolie’s mind. But he can’t underestimate Light as an unheralded challenger.
‼️ Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe clashing at the CREED III London premiere this evening… pic.twitter.com/fdIKYIRq8p
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 15, 2023
Okolie will walk into this fight as the bigger boxer. Most boxing picks expect him to mow down his opponent as he’s typically done. Only three boxers have made it to the final bell against Okolie and one of them, Michal Cieslak, got badly hurt several times in the fight.
The former Olympian is massive and hits hard and precise. And at 30 years of age, he’s still just hitting the prime of his career. The onus on Okolie is not just to win but to put on a performance that will elevate his status. Folks betting online will have to stake $90 to win $10 and at the least, expect Okolie to deliver impressively.
What Can Light Do?
The sportsbook expects Light to be outmatched in this bout (11-2 underdog). While the New Zealander is tough and skilled offensively, his defensive deficiencies will lead to his downfall. For one, Light tends to not move his head as much. He’s also prone to absorbing straight punches and against a powerful jabber like Okolie, which spells trouble.
The underdog can also try to “dirty up” the fight by grabbing Okolie and making him look bad. That won’t work as the likes of Isaac Chamberlain and Matty Askin have tried. All it does is extend the fight to which Okolie will likely triumph.
If Light is to make shocking boxing news, he’ll have to try and actually outbox Okolie. Of course, this also sounds like a suicidal arrangement as Okolie packs “bigger guns” so to speak. Still, Light is a 200-pound man, and one clean punch from him could stagger Okolie and change the course of the fight. It could happen. But it’s unlikely to.
Okolie vs Light Head-to-Head
Light’s reach is unknown, but it is likely to be shorter than Okolie’s 82.5 inches. At 6-foot-5, Okolie is also four inches taller than his adversary. Both are in their early 30s and have nearly the same amount of professional bouts. They both also box in the orthodox stance.
Okolie vs Light Fight Information
- Fighters: Okolie (18-0-0, 14 KOs) vs Light (20-0-0, 12 KOs)
- Location: AO Arena, Manchester, England
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 25, 7 p.m. ET
- Okolie vs Light Live stream: Box Live
Okolie vs Light Betting Lines
Okolie vs Light Prediction
This should be business as usual for Okolie. The Briton should get a bead on Light at some point in the first eight rounds and finish him. Of course, Light could be a durable fellow and find ways to “neutralize” Okolie. But as the online gambling lines indicate, he’s in for a beating.
Lawrence Okolie is listed at -1000 in our Vegas boxing lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Okolie, you have a chance to win $10. David Light is +600, offering a chance to win $600 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Okolie a 90.91% chance to win, with Light at 14.29%
