Lawrence Okolie stormed into Poland and left with the WBC Bridgerweight title, delivering a first-round knockout that silenced Lukasz Rozanski's hometown crowd.
A Swift Victory
The visiting Brit wasted no time in dismantling Rozanski at the Hala Podpromie in Rzeszow, Poland. Okolie (20-1, 15 KOs) floored Rozanski three times in the opening round, ending the bout decisively at 2:55. The first knockdown came with a powerful right hand just over a minute into the round, setting the tone for the brief but intense fight.
Rozanski (15-1, 14 KOs) struggled to recover, hitting the canvas again seconds later. Despite complaints of a rabbit punch, the referee ignored his protests and resumed the action. Okolie closed the show with a right uppercut along the ropes, and referee Daniel Van de Wiele stopped the fight after Rozanski failed to convincingly beat the count.
The Path to the Title
Okolie's victory marks a triumphant return to the ring, 52 weeks after his sole career defeat against Chris Billam-Smith. Entering at a career-heaviest 223 ½ pounds, Okolie demonstrated that his power has followed him up the scale. His aggressive strategy and powerful punches proved too much for Rozanski, who had held the WBC Bridgerweight title for 13 months without any successful defenses.
Future Prospects
With this win, Okolie becomes a two-division titlist, having previously held the WBO cruiserweight title. While Bridgerweight is only recognized by the WBC and WBA, Okolie’s dominant performance suggests a promising future. It is unlikely he will return to cruiserweight; instead, fans can expect to see him defend his Bridgerweight title before potentially moving up to the heavyweight division.
Undercard Highlights
Fiodor Czerkaszyn Shines
Aspiring middleweight contender Fiodor Czerkaszyn (24-1, 15 KOs) impressed with a seventh-round stoppage of Mexico’s Jorge Cota. The Ukraine-born boxer, now based in Warsaw, controlled the fight from the outset, leading to Cota’s corner throwing in the towel at 2:52 of round seven.