kolie vs Billam-Smith LIVE!
Lawrence Okolie defends his world title tonight in a much-anticipated all-British clash against Chris Billam-Smith. The WBO cruiserweight champion is the man with the belt but he will be very unpopular tonight at the Vitality Stadium, as hometown hero Billam-Smith gets the fight he has always dreamed of in Bournemouth.
Despite his unbeaten professional boxing record of 19-0, Okolie has regularly been questioned over the style of his victories, which have rarely come in thrilling fashion. The 30-year-old has been world champion since 2019, most recently defending the title just nine weeks ago against David Light in somewhat dull fashion.
A more entertaining display will surely be the plan tonight, one more in keeping with trainer SugarHill Steward’s style, but Billam-Smith will have his eyes on Okolie’s belt. Almost all of the 15,000 fans in attendance will be behind the Bournemouth fighter, who has put eight consecutive wins together since losing to Richard Riakporhe nearly four years ago. Follow Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith LIVE below!
Live updates
So far tonight…
There has already been some action in Bournemouth, ahead of the main undercard getting underway.
Razor Ali was knocked down in the second round but came back from that to win on points, while Tommy Welch had also got the job done after his fight went the distance.
Bournemouth behind their man!
Billam-Smith is a regular at the Vitality Stadium, watching Bournemouth throughout the season, and he now gets his chance on the big stage.
He’d love to have a belt to walk out onto the pitch when the new season gets underway in August!
Main event prediction
Okolie is the obvious favourite to retain his WBO belt for the fourth time on Saturday, though he will surely not be able to coast to the finish line in somewhat dull fashion as he has now in back-to-back wins over Cieslak and Light.
Naturally it will take a while for Okolie to show the benefits of his new partnership with Steward, but he needs to start generating more excitement quickly if he is to realise his grand plans for unifying the cruiserweight division and potentially joining the heavyweight ranks.
If the champion does show any signs of slugishness this weekend, then Billam-Smith is surely well-placed to take advantage. As a friend and former sparring partner of Okolie’s, hence the complete lack of any of the usual animosity or needle in the build-up to this fight, he possesses real knowledge of his weaknesses and how best to exploit them.
The fact that Billam-Smith – whose only professional loss to date came on points against Richard Riakporhe in 2019 – is still trained by McGuigan adds another intriguing sub-plot to the contest, with Shane having insisted that he knows exactly how to beat his former charge.
Ultimately Billam-Smith’s explosive nature means win or lose he won’t allow this to be a boring bout in front of an adoring home crowd at a packed-out stadium, with his aggressive approach potentially set to coax a fiery performance from Okolie at long last.
Billam-Smith has never previously been stopped, but that could well change here in a valiant effort as he goes for broke to try and spring an upset.
Okolie to win by late knockout.
Card in full
Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith
Mikael Lawal vs Isaac Chamberlain
Sam Eggington vs Joe Pigford
Lee Cutler vs Stanley Stannard
Karriss Artingstall vs Jade Taylor
Tommy Welch vs Amine Boucetta
Michael McKinson vs Lebin Morales
Lewis Edmondson vs Vladimir Belujsky
Mace Ruegg vs Dean Dodge
Your timings for tonight…
The card takes place tonight at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, with capacity expanded from 12,000 to 15,000 seats.
The undercard is due to begin at 7pm BST, with main event ring walks expected at approximately 10pm. As ever, exact timings are subject to change.
How to watch Okolie vs Billam-Smith
TV channel: Okolie vs Billam-Smith is being broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning on Sky Sports Action at 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event at 8pm.
Live stream: Subscribers can also watch live online via the Sky Go app.
Live coverage: You can follow the whole card live right here with us!
Good evening!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith!
World title action coming up tonight as the two British cruiserweights meet in Bournemouth, with Okolie putting his WBO world title on the line.
Billam-Smith though is the man with the home advantage, and he’ll be roared on by 15,000 fans as he looks to become world champion against a man he is very familiar with.
We’ll have full coverage of the main event later tonight, with all the action from the undercard to come before then. Stay with us!
