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Briton Lawrence Okolie defended his WBO cruiserweight title with a comfortable but scrappy points win over David Light at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Okolie, 30, was the busier fighter, landing more power punches to beat his mandatory challenger, but he was docked a point for excessive holding.
The judges scored it 116-112, 119-108 and 117-110 to Okolie.
Okolie has now won all 19 professional bouts, completing a third defence of the title he won against Krzysztof Glowacki in March 2021.
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WHAT NEXT? 🤷🏻♂️
After 13 months out of the ring, Lawrence Okolie defended his WBO strap in a lacklustre performance. Fans booed, they left the arena early and he was also docked a point for holding in the 11th round.
Does Ben Shalom now push to make the Riakporhe fight next? pic.twitter.com/ncIzhQim3f
— 🎙LoveBoxingTV (@LoveBoxingTV) March 26, 2023
“I’d give it a five out of 10 because I felt rusty,” Okolie – who last fought in February 2022 – told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I was trying to work the jab and I started to get a bit tired which isn’t like me. After 13 months out of the ring and everything I’ve been through it was hard to get going.”
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Defeat for Light is the first of his career in his 21st fight.
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