RZESZOW, POLAND (May 23, 2024) – Lawrence Okolie and Lukasz Rozanski both made weight today ahead of their WBC World Bridgerweight Title clash on Friday, May 24th in Rzeszow, Poland, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

Former British, Commonwealth, European and World Cruiserweight Champion Okolie bids to become a two-weight world ruler as he takes on undefeated Pole Rozanksi in the champion’s backyard.

Rozanksi, who boasts a frightening knockout ratio with fourteen of his fifteen victories coming inside the distance, makes the first defence of the WBC Bridgerweight belt he claimed with a spectacular first-round stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Alen Babic in April last year.

WBC World Bridgerweight Championship:

Lukasz Rozanski: 101kg / 223lbs / 15st 12lbs 8oz

Lawrence Okolie: 101.4kg / 223.5lbs / 15st 13lbs 8oz

With the fighters weighed in, fans can look forward to world title action tomorrow live and exclusive on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 22:00 (BST) and Okolie is promising fireworks as he predicts a KO win over the champion Rozanski.

“The only thing that matters is tomorrow night,” said Okolie. “I’m going to be very composed and clinical. I’ve got several knockouts, and several early knockouts in my career and I’m going to get back to that. I win by stoppage. It’ll be a good counter shot or good work to the body.

“When you’re walking around at 118kg, cruiserweight isn’t happening. Even now I have to make bridgerweight, but it’s a lot nicer weight cut.

“You don’t get to 16 fights with 15 KOs without wanting it, so I think Rozanski is  going to come flying out and try to assert himself and it’s up to me to show him my pedigree, the level I’ve been at for a number of years and the fact that I’ve got great punch power myself – especially with the extra weight that I’ve put on and not having to drain myself to make the weight, I should put on a very explosive performance.”

This event is presented in association with official partner Integritas Property Group.

Watch Lukasz Rozanski vs Lawrence Okolie for the WBC World Bridgerweight Title live and exclusive on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 22:00 (BST).

RZESZOW, POLAND (May 22, 2024) – Coach Joe Gallagher says Lawrence Okolie will need a knockout to guarantee victory when he travels to hostile territory to challenge Lukasz Rozanski for the WBC World Bridgerweight Title on Friday, May 24th in Rzeszow, Poland, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

WATCH: LAWRENCE OKOLIE & JOE GALLAGHER TALK KOS AND A HOSTILE POLAND

Gallagher is the man tasked with rebuilding Okolie as he bids to become a two-weight world champion following his loss to Chris Billam-Smith for the WBO World Cruiserweight crown last May at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth.

The pair linked up following a sparring session in Saudi Arabia with Okolie later relocating to Manchester to train under Gallagher’s tutelage at Moss Side’s legendary Champs Camp gym.

“It came about when I was over in Saudi,” explains Gallagher. “Joe Parker needed some sparring, so he asked Lawrence who asked me if I would do the corner for him. He did well. Then at the beginning of the year he came over to Manchester and did a few sessions with me and was talking about a possible fight.Law

“With Lawrence, he’s achieved an awful lot in a short period of time but I wanted to know if he really had it so I said; ‘listen, I need you here in Manchester in Champs Camp Moss Side. Let’s get you in a gym full of hungry fighters and see if you still have that grit and desire.’ He answered that. I could see he’s still got it and the fire is still burning in the belly. That’s what I wanted to see from him.”

Gallagher believes a move up to bridgerweight is the ‘perfect move’ for the Rio 2016 Olympian ahead of a potential transition to heavyweight.

“I think this is the perfect move for him,” says Gallagher. “To move up to bridgerweight will give him a good idea of how he will cope at heavyweight without having to go up to that division. It’s a chance for him to become a two-weight world champion, get that WBC belt and put himself back on the boxing map.”

To become a two-weight world champion behind enemy lines and to take the WBC World Title from hometown fighter Rozanski, Gallagher has warned Okolie that he cannot risk a points decision and must go for the knockout. 

“I’ve told Lawrence he needs to knock him out,” said Gallagher. “I’ve said to him since day one that if he thinks he’s going to go over there and win on points he’s absolutely mad. That’s just not how it’s going to be. There’s going to be a hostile crowd. He’s got to look to knock him out in round one or two, even ten or eleven but he can’t let it go to points.

“We’re going over there to get the knockout. He’s got to go in there like Emanuel Steward and that Kronk style. He’s not going to get any favours. It’ll be hostile. He has to upset him any way he can. He’s got to be like Hagler when he came to Britain to face Minter. He’s got to do an absolute number on him and have the plane running ready to bring the belt back to England.”

This event is presented in association with official partner Integritas Property Group.

Watch Lukasz Rozanski vs Lawrence Okolie for the WBC World Bridgerweight Title live and exclusive on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 22:00 (BST).

RZESZOW, POLAND (March 21, 2024) – Lawrence Okolie will challenge Lukasz Rozanski for the WBC World Bridgerweight Championship on Friday, May 24th at the Podpromie Arena in Rzeszow, Poland, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

The former British, Commonwealth, European and WBO World Cruiserweight king makes his long awaited return to the ring as he bids to become a two-weight world ruler by taking on the undefeated Rozanski in the champion’s backyard.

Rozanski, who boasts a frightening knockout ratio with fourteen of his fifteen victories coming inside the distance, will be bringing big-time boxing back to Rzeszow having claimed the WBC Bridgerweight belt with a ferocious first-round stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Alen Babic in front of his home fans in April last year.

Okolie, the 31-year-old from Hackney, who represented Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics, first captured world honours in March 2021 with a knockout win over Rozanski’s countryman Krzysztof Glowacki.

‘The Sauce’ moves up in weight for his first professional bout above the 200lbs limit following a majority decision loss against former stablemate Chris Billam-Smith in an epic world title showdown in May 2023 at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth.

Lawrence Okolie said: “I’m excited to go to Poland and test myself yet again on away ground. Rozanski is a good champion, with an explosive style, but I’m coming to do some serious damage. He has never seen power like mine.”

Lukasz Rozanski said: “I’m defending my World Title in my own backyard, in my city, fighting against a former World Champion. It’s a fantastic fight, for moments like these, I’ve trained hard all my life.”

The WBC Bridgerweight World Title fight between Lukasz Rozanski and Lawrence Okolie will be the second event co-promoted by BOXXER and Knockout Promotions following a successful collaboration in April 2023.

BOXXER CEO and Founder Ben Shalom said: “We’re excited to be returning to Poland and working once again with our friends at Knockout Promotions for what promises to be another spectacular night of boxing. I was ringside to watch Rozanki beat Babic inside a round to claim the WBC Bridgerweight World Title so I know Lawrence will need to be at his best to bring the belt back to the UK. I believe at this heavier weight we will see the best and most destructive version of Lawrence Okolie.”

Andrew Wasilewski for Knockout Promotions said:  “I’m delighted that Knockout Promotions will be organizing another gala in cooperation with our English colleagues from BOXXER. We had hoped that last year’s gala would be the beginning of further collaboration, and it is happening. We are thrilled and can’t wait.”

This event is presented in association with official partner Integritas Property Group.

RZESZOW, POLAND – (Saturday, April 22) – After hammering ‘The Hulk’ in less than two rounds and handing the previously-undefeated Ukrainian heavyweight his first stoppage loss, Martin Bakole (19-1, 14 KO’s)  called out some of the division’s biggest names to face him in the ring next.

Making his official BOXXER debut, Bakole stopped the previously undefeated ‘Ukrainian Hulk’ Ihor Shevadzutsky (10-1, 8 KO’s) at 0:45 of the second round, demonstrating exactly why he is the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bakole is a son of the hereditary ruler of the Kananga province and brother of former WBC world cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, who is next in line for throne. 

For the last four years he has been based in Ayrshire, where he trains under the stewardship of Billy Nelson, hence his nickname ‘The Next King of Scotland’. In keeping with his royal heritage, Bakole has his eyes on the heavyweight crown and wants a huge heavyweight showdown to be his next step towards that. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Bakole said: “I want Dillian Whyte, Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk. Why not? I call people out because I know I can stop them! I made a big statement tonight. I was the first guy to stop [Hulk]. This guy has never been stopped before, I was the first to stop him.” 

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom added: “Everyone in boxing knows how good this guy is and now we need to make sure he gets to mandatory so that people can’t keep avoiding him. He’s ready for the big fights and for me Deontay Wilder is the fight he should be getting next. 

“If Usyk is facing Dubois next then the thing that makes sense according to the WBA rankings I think would be Bakole against Deontay Wilder. and we’re also interested in Dillian Whyte or Daniel Dubois.”

There was another impressive heavyweight performance in the shape of rising star Jeamie TKV (5-0, 3 KO’s).

Making light work of Polish native Michal Boloz (now 5-5, 2 KO’s), the London fighter scored the third knockout win of his young professional career to take his record to five wins from five fights, with three of those wins by knockout. 

Body shots were the key to victory, a rare sight in the professional heavyweight ranks, with TKV digging for gold repeatedly in Boloz’s midriff before finally folding him in half and sending him through the ring ropes during the fight-ending sequence.

“I started a bit slow, he had weight behind his punches so I needed to be smart. I knew if I caught him in the body nicely, he was going to go,” TKV told Sky Sports reporter Andy Scott at ringside post-fight.

“I’ve got more to show, more to come. I want more fights, more experience. I hope the guys at home enjoyed that knockout.”

In the main event, presented in association with Knockout Promotions, hometown hero Lukasz Rozanski (15-0, 14 KO’s) made short work of Croatian wildman Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-1, 10 KO’s) to claim the inaugural WBC World Bridgerweight Championship in front of a partisan crowd in the sold-out G2A Arena.

This was never going to go the distance – both fighters are gunslingers who favour all-out aggression and eschew defence – but the first-round finish was still surprising in its ferocity. 

Rozanski found his mark first and Babic never fully recovered, being put on the back foot almost instantly and suffering a storm of heavy leather which did not relent until the referee waved the fight off at 2.10 of the second round.

Earlier in the evening, Birmingham’s Steed Woodall (18-1-1-, 11 KO’s) survived a brief wobble late in the fight to take a unanimous decision over Boris Crighton (11-3, 7 KO’s) in a bout which was closely fought for all of its eight rounds. 

This event was presented in association with official partners Everlast and Wow Hydrate.

For more reaction and for all the latest news and updates, go to BOXXER.com and follow @BOXXER on social media.

London, UK – (March 15, 2023) – BOXXER heads to Poland next month for its second international event of 2023, presenting a world title fight and a stacked card of elite championship boxing on Saturday, April 22, in association with Knockout Promotions.

Fresh from a successful event in Paris last weekend, where Dan Azeez captured the EBU light-heavyweight title and Lauren Price extended her unbeaten professional record, another huge trip to the continent is in the reckoning.

Caroline Dubois leads the star-studded travelling party to Rzeszów, along with brand new BOXXER signing Martin Bakole and fellow heavyweight Jeamie TKV – with Alen Babic headlining, live and exclusively in the UK & Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports, when he faces Lukasz Rozanski for the vacant WBC World Bridgerweight title. 

Trained by Shane McGuigan, rising superstar Dubois (6-0, 5 KOs) blasted her way through Feriche Mashaury at the OVO Wembley Arena in February to make another emphatic stride in her burgeoning career.

Mashaury has fought the likes of Chantelle Cameron and Terri Harper and took recently crowned British Boxer of the Year Natasha Jonas the distance in 2019.

But former Team GB hero Dubois, 22, made light work of her Tanzania rival and dispatched her inside two destructive rounds. An opponent for April 22 will be named in due course.

The ‘Next King of Scotland’ Martin Bakole (18-1-0, 13 KOs) will make his highly-anticipated BOXXER debut when he takes on unbeaten Ukrainian, Ihor Shevadzutskyi (10-0, 8 KOs) in a battle of the behemoths. 

Bakole signed a long-term deal with BOXXER back in February. And the Ayrshire-based heavyweight, who is ranked highly by the WBA, will be out to make a major statement when he collides with a man nicknamed ‘the Hulk’, who has wins over Kevin Johnson and Kamil Sokolowski on his CV.

Standing at a menacing 6ft 6in, Bakole hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was born a prince to the son of the ruler of the Kananga province. His brother is former WBC World Cruiserweight king, Ilunga Makabu.

His record is as impressive as his stature, having won 18 professional fights including his last in May 2022 when he celebrated a majority decision victory over Tony Yoka in the Rio 2016 Olympic champion’s homeland in Paris, France.

Bakole’s only defeat was in 2018 to American heavyweight Michael Hunter. But he has responded with seven successive wins since – five of which were knockouts, including triumphs against Kevin Johnson and Mariusz Wach.

Another impressive heavyweight on the fight card in Rzeszów is Jeamie TKV (4-0, 2 KOs).

The undefeated Londoner has made a great impression with BOXXER, enjoying four wins – including his breathtaking points victory over Harry Armstrong last month.

The 29-year-old has been training in Texas and can now look forward to his first fight outside of his capital city when he travels to Poland next month.

Completing the line-up will be a hotly-contested main event which sees the popular Croatian knockout artist, Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-0, 10 KOs) battle Poland’s own Lukasz Rozanski (14-0, 13 KOS) for the vacant WBC World Bridgerweight Championship.

BOXXER CEO & Founder, Ben Shalom said: “Another significant European adventure awaits. Paris was an incredible success and we believe that this fight night in Poland will be hugely impactful in the world of boxing. 

“Caroline Dubois has proved unstoppable and this will be a brilliant test for her overseas. Jeamie TKV has lit up our screens with some hugely impressive heavyweight performances and you will not want to blink when the ‘Next King of Scotland’ Martin Bakole stands toe-to-toe with the ‘Ukrainian Hulk’, Ihor Shevadzutskyi in chief support.

“Topped by a huge world title fight with Alan Babic, we are looking forward to another showcase for our world class roster on the global stage with Sky Sports.”

Further news on tickets and media accreditation will be released in due course.

This event is presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.