WBO Order Lawrence Okolie-David Light Crusierweight Title Bout
After defeating the USA’s Brandon Glanton over the weekend, New Zealand’s David Light (20-0, 12KO) has earned himself a mandatory shot at the WBO crown, currently held by the UK’s Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14KO).
The WBO made the announcement three days after Light’s victory, with the two parties given 20 days to reach an agreement. Okolie has not fought since February, and the WBO appears keen to get the division moving again.
“The parties are granted 20 days upon issuance of this letter to negotiate and reach an agreement or purse bid proceedings will be ordered per WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests,” the WBO’s Luis Batista-Salas stated.
Light, who turned professional in 2017, has steadily been climbing the WBO cruiserweight ranks, and his win over Glanton cemented his spot as the mandatory challenger.
The pair went toe-to-toe for ten rounds, with neither man willing to give an inch in one of the most grueling cruiserweight fights in recent memory. At the end of the contest, Light earned the nod from the judges with the cards reading 95-94, 97-92 to the Kiwi, with one judge scoring it 95-94 to Glanton.
Okolie is currently represented by Matchroom Boxing, though the relationship appears to be somewhat strained at the moment, while Light is backed by the Australian promotion No Limit Boxing.
It has been almost a year since Okolie stepped into the ring, with his last fight taking place back in February when he defeated Poland’s Michal Cieslak via unanimous decision.
Light may not be a familiar name to UK boxing fans, but the 31-year-old was a decorated amateur boxer and is trained by Isaac Peach, who currently coaches three world-ranked fighters and has built a reputation as one of the best boxing trainers in Australasia.
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