Round-by-Round: Lawrence Okolie vs. Chris Billam-Smith | Sky Sports - 27 May 2023

[polecateddy]

Credit to Shane for the game plan. He was openly talking months ago about needing his man to fight at certain ranges to have success. He seemed quietly confident. Sounds like Okolie needs to head off into the wilderness like Johnny Nelson and find himself a bit.

[Lairdy]

First of all, what a horrible world title fight! Okolie should've been DQ.

I don't understand why people are so upset with the 112-112 scorecard. Counting the rounds Okoli lost a point as 9-9, I had it 112-111 Okoli. Counting them rounds as 10-9 CBS, it's 113-112 CBS. Counting them as 10-8, it's 113-110, CBS.

[CaptainSpacerod]

A hugely dramatic but at the same time awful fight. Marcus McD loves to be the centre of attention and so this was the perfect fight for him as Okolie just kept on fouling.

Great moment to see the emotion of CBS when he got the verdict.

[gregregegg]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

[Oiky]

Okolie is one of the most boring fighters to ever put gloves on

[Glass Joe]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

Remains to be seen who will actually want to put the money up for that fight.

[samwbr]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

No one needs to see that again. Okolie is horrendous to watch, seems a decent bloke but in the ring its dire.

[Fearful_Freddie]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

His WWE stuff won't be effective with the big lads.

[garethhop]

Quite enjoyed the spectacle. Great setting and atmosphere and CBS outperformed.

Okolie should have been kicked out. Constant use of head and holding but understand why a ref doesnt want to DQ a world champ partic when he is clearly losing anyway.

2nd knockdown was a poor call but the 3rd Okolie was hurt 10 secs earlier in my view.

Shane McGuigan does a hell of a job doesnt he with his fighters?

[aiden67]

A hugely dramatic but at the same time awful fight. Marcus McD loves to be the centre of attention and so this was the perfect fight for him as Okolie just kept on fouling.

Great moment to see the emotion of CBS when he got the verdict.

I dont see where the criticism is coming from either. Okolie was messy but what did CBS do to win rounds? I think there was one round other than the 10-8s I could have given him. The judge must have that round or another as a 10-10 on his card.

At least one of the knockdowns shouldn't have counted. An absolutely shocking fight. Okolie getting massive stick and rightly so but CBS is one very lucky boy to be calling himself world champion today in my opinion.

8 × 10-9 Okolie
1 x 10-10
3 × 10-8 CBS

2pts deducted Okolie

112-112

[Glass Joe]

eddie after hearing okolie lost

last 2 werent knockdowns for me. I think a DQ win for CBS would have taken some joy out of winning a world title by DQ.

[handsofstone]

Delighted for Billam-Smith, well deserved, had him ahead 114-109, I'm amazed Okolie never got disqualified for holding, ref was a joke, took a couple points of , gave him numerous final warnings but still was too scared to DQ him, it was ridiculous, how a fighter with Okolie's credentials continues to do it


As frustrating as Okolie is, he was still effective, Billam-Smith couldn't get to grips with him and was being lulled to sleep as Okolie can do to opponents as well as viewers, then in the 4th Billam-Smith dropped Okolie with a left hook and battered him when he got up,, Okolie then finally got docked a point in the 5th then again in the 7th, thought he was a cert to get chucked out but he carried on regardless

The knockdown in the 10th was bogus, punch missed but the KD the following round was legit, combination from Billam-Smith had Okolie scrambling as he fell to the canvas, thought CBS took the last as well to seal it, well deserved but Okolie is a prat, has never learned his lessons and finally paid the price, shame as he landed the better punches all night, hit Billam-Smith with shots better than the ones that dropped him

[Twinkle Toes]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

Is it though, his natural reaction is to throw single shots and grab. His actual boxing skill is pretty fukin dire tbh.

He'll be even worse at heavyweight and he wont get away with it, becasue he won't be able to use his strength at heavy like he can at cruiser. Lets face it, it's his strength and abilty to maul that makes him so effective and difficult to beat. It certainbly aint his boxing. He's not that quick either, he wings his shots in from miles away and instantly looks to grab and hold. If he's not learnt to stop this by now, he aint ever.

He tried to open up last night after about 20 warnings from the ref and it was amateur hour, he's actually turned into a really poor boxer.

The fight overall last night was rubbish, it really was.

The move to SKY has been a disaster, far too much out of the ring shenanigans and now he's lost his title after supposedly going there to be the face of SKY, unify the titles and then win titles at heavyweight.

It won't be happening.

[tony1234]

Poor Boxxer , they must have done a fortune on signing Okolie and have done their conkers on him. That was a farce last night, not sure how anyone could score it apart from the knockdown rounds as hardly anything clean landed.
And god knows why they have Artingsall on such a prominent position on a show, I bet she doesn't sell a ticket and the only good thing would be do get to the loo or get another beer in when she is on.

[keirw]

Hear there will be a rematch, of a fight that by all accounts was shit…

I’d like okolie to come out, say he was too weak at cruiser and move to heavy. 230lb okolie with power and quick hands (at heavy) is a much more enticing thought.

Is it though, his natural reaction is to throw single shots and grab. His actual boxing skill is pretty fukin dire tbh.

He'll be even worse at heavyweight and he wont get away with it, becasue he won't be able to use his strength at heavy like he can at cruiser. Lets face it, it's his strength and abilty to maul that makes him so effective and difficult to beat. It certainbly aint his boxing. He's not that quick either, he wings his shots in from miles away and instantly looks to grab and hold. If he's not learnt to stop this by now, he aint ever.

He tried to open up last night after about 20 warnings from the ref and it was amateur hour, he's actually turned into a really poor boxer.

The fight overall last night was rubbish, it really was.

The move to SKY has been a disaster, far too much out of the ring shenanigans and now he's lost his title after supposedly going there to be the face of SKY, unify the titles and then win titles at heavyweight.

It won't be happening.

A move to Heavyweight would likely see Okolie brutally stopped by the first decent opponent he faces, followed by an abrupt retirement from the sport.

Sounds good to me

[Ruthless-RKO]

Okolie is one of them boxers on here .. just like Joyce.

We know what they like. But as soon as they start their fight.

‘Okolie is crap’ or ‘Okolie should be DQ’d’

Just like Joyce’s fights.

‘He’s so slow’



Nothing ever changes.

[Glass Joe]

There were 5 fights in the crowd last night. Great idea to put saints, Pompey and cherries fans together

[Controversial]

Okolie looks scared to get hit, he is dismal to watch. The fight before CBS made Johnny Nelson look exciting and last night the holding, pushing, shoulder moves etc was even worse. I’ve never seen what the excitement was over him or Buatsi

[DrDuke]

It's good, that Larry the Crowdpleaser finally got, what he had deserved.

[Delta Jay]

There were 5 fights in the crowd last night. Great idea to put saints, Pompey and cherries fans together

They were all probably better to watch as well

[tony1234]

The stoppage in the Pigford was a shocker too, Stevie Wonder could have seen he was gone long before he stepped in

[Glass Joe]

There were 5 fights in the crowd last night. Great idea to put saints, Pompey and cherries fans together

They were all probably better to watch as well

yes they were. card was pretty dire on the whole to watch. Cutler opponent didn't fancy/wasnt good. Artingstall is awful to watch. Pig ford was exposed. No words needed for the main event.

[handsofstone]

I watched the Wood/Lara 2 card live last night, during the main event I got a txt from my dad and without opening it I can see the first line saying, " he should've been DQ'd 2 rounds ago".

I knew instantly Okolie was up to his old tricks

[keirw]

The stoppage in the Pigford was a shocker too, Stevie Wonder could have seen he was gone long before he stepped in

Yeah, that was awful, Pigford took at least 5 or 6 shots more than any sane ref would have allowed.

[wrighty]

Okolie has the tools there but the holding is awful. I wonder what he does now. If he goes up he could stop off at Bridgerweight as he would win that strap easily, I'm not sure how well he would do at heavyweight. I think Okolie has a good attitude and he was humble in defeat but he needs to iron out the holding.