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

[dookus]

Eggington vs pigford aka bacon and eggs, is a fornicating cracker fight. I like the idea of a gatekeeper type who’s lost a bunch but fought good level vs a can crusher that’s been doing good. Always hard to pick.

Really looking forward to that one. Pigford has been so frustrating to follow, should have broken through years ago. Has he left it too late to develop, or will Eggington feel the effects of one fight too far?

[KiwiRider]

Cutler Stannard should be good, Eggy and Pigford should prove something either way. And Eggy is never in a boring fight.
And the main event is pretty interesting too.
On paper this is a really decent sounding card

[Ruthless-RKO]

[gregregegg]

Cruiser weight is such a dead division right now. I can’t believe okolie hasn’t unified and moved up yet.

Also can’t believe riachpoor hasn’t fought for a belt and moved up.

These guys are 6”5 and 220ish… they could fill in to solid 230lb heavyweight contenders pretty quick but instead they are just fornicating around boring people.

Briedis vs opetia has been the only really interesting cruiser weight fight since usyk moved up…

[mickey1975]

Cruiser weight is such a dead division right now. I can’t believe okolie hasn’t unified and moved up yet.

Also can’t believe riachpoor hasn’t fought for a belt and moved up.

These guys are 6”5 and 220ish… they could fill in to solid 230lb heavyweight contenders pretty quick but instead they are just fornicating around boring people.

Briedis vs opetia has been the only really interesting cruiser weight fight since usyk moved up…

But it isn't in this country and Sky have put a lot into it. Okolie would be the new Bakolie if he moves up.

[Frostieballs]

So he hasn’t communicated with Shalom, but hopes they go at 10.45pm with their stadium event.

Yeah - seems fair Eddie

[dr_devious]

Okolie would be the new Bakolie if he moves up.

He'd be great at bridgerweight. Just saying like.

[1175114]

Okolie would be the new Bakolie if he moves up.

He'd be great at bridgerweight. Just saying like.

Riakphore isn't doing anything he should grab that while waiting for Okolie.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Chris Billam-Smith vs Lawrence Okolie will set a new record in Bournemouth

Chris Billam-Smith vs Lawrence Okolie event extended to 15,000 capacity

Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium will host the largest non-football audience in its history on Saturday, May 27th when 15,000 fans will pack the venue to witness hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith (17-1-0, 12 KOs) challenge former team mate Lawrence Okolie (19-0, 14 KOs) for the cruiserweight championship of the world.

The ground usually hosts 11,300 seated fans for the Premiership football games of AFC Bournemouth, but BOXXER has received licensing permission from Bournemouth authorities to expand seating provision for Billam-Smith’s title tilt, the biggest boxing event ever to take place in the south coast region.

And it’s not only the fans who benefit - in addition to allowing thousands more people to experience this landmark event in person, the expanded seating allocation will also create extra funding for local charities set to receive a portion of the profits from this event.

Bournemouth-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Joseph Ashford Ellis - BOXXER’s local partner in the region - has been a driving force and key player in bringing BOXXER events to Bournemouth, hoping it will provide inspiration for local youngsters to channel their time and energy into sport “instead of just hanging around on the streets”.

A key partner in the May 27th event, Joseph has vowed to donate his proportion of profits from the event to two local charities an amateur boxing club and a charity which works with Bournemouth’s street-homeless population. (In 2022, determined to bring BOXXER to Bournemouth, he assumed massive financial risk to himself by personally underwriting the cost of every ticket for the first event.)

On May 27th he will once again be ringside as the evening’s event plays out, paying particular attention to the boxers from his management stable who are competing on the card, including Southampton’s Joe Pigford, Bournemouths very own Lee Cutler and the Portsmouth talent Mikey McKinson.

“Bournemouth is my home town. It's where all my children have been born and raised, I genuinely love the town, I love the people and I wanted the chance to do something for the community here. I strongly believe in sport as a pathway to a better life for young people and I hope that this event - and the two prior BOXXER events in Bournemouth - have shown what it’s possible to achieve when you are on the right path,” said Ashford-Ellis.

“This event is a landmark moment for Bournemouth but for me it’s about the chance to give something back. I’m excited to see the sold-out atmosphere in the Vitality Stadium on fight night but I’m also looking forward even more to the moment when I take my share of the event revenue and hand it over to these vital community projects. That’s going to be a very proud moment for me, another tick off my bucket list and I’m just delighted to be able to give something back.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER Founder and CEO, “Bournemouth has turned out to be a sleeping giant of the British boxing scene. Our visit absolutely blew us away, the crowd was unbelievable and to this day it’s an event BOXXER staff still talk about. The atmospheres at both our Bournemouth events have been indescribable and I really cannot wait to see what level things go to when the main event fighters are walking out at the Vitality Stadium on May 27th.

“We are unbelievably fortunate to have Joe Ashford-Ellis as our partner in Bournemouth. He was so passionate about bringing us here and he’s moved heaven and earth to make these events happen, motivated by his desire to do something for the young people here. That motivation gives him limitless energy and we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better partner as we prepare to stage the biggest non-football sports event in Bournemouth history.”

This event will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Village Hotels and Who Dares Gyms.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Card

awrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith
12x3 WBO World Cruiserweight Championship

Mikael Lawal vs Isaac Chamberlain
12x3 British Cruiserweight Championship

Sam Eggington vs Joe Pigford
8/10x3 mins Super-Welterweight Contest

Lee Cutler vs Stanley Stannard
10x3 English Super-Welterweight Championship Eliminator

Karriss Artingstall vs Jade Taylor
6/8x2 Lightweight Contes

Mace Ruegg vs Dean Dodge
6x3 Super-Featherweight Contest

Lewis Edmondson vs Vladimir Belujski
6x3 Light-Heavyweight Contest

Tommy Welch vs TBA
6x3 Heavyweight Contest

Michael McKinson vs TBA
6x3 Welterweight Contest

[Ruthless-RKO]

Card got less interesting

[Glass Joe]

Still think Okoile will be motivated to job on CBS and CBS wont handle the big event pressure. Okolie stoppage 3-5.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Okolie: "I Know I Can Break Billam-Smith, My Aim is To Break Him"

"I know that they're going to come. Their whole game plan is going to be around getting on my chest and screaming for points, all this stuff," Okolie told Sky Sports.

"So I'm very much aware of the psyche that they're into, which is: 'We can't beat Lawrence in a fight. We can't. We can try and get a lucky punch but maybe we can make it a maul and get the crowd behind and throw him off'. But I've never been that way inclined. I'm very focused, razor sharp, so I'm looking forward to showing it.

"And I know that I can break him so I'm going to aim to break him on the day. That's it. We'll see if [our past] means anything. But that sort of stuff motivates me because you guys watch me do it. Amateurs, came through, British, Commonwealth. When I was winning the British title, these guys were already pro, pussyfooting around the game.

"I'm there going in against people like Matty Askin, who was a top-10 fighter at the time. Luke Watkins, undefeated 13-0 at the time. [Isaac] Chamberlain, 9-0, so that one doesn't count as much but within a year I'm already headlining the O2 Arena, within a year of professional boxing. I've been there, in the deep end, so I can get why these guys would always be watching me."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[Deserter]

Still think Okoile will be motivated to job on CBS and CBS wont handle the big event pressure. Okolie stoppage 3-5.

yep, i'm inclined to agree. Like both fighters, but feel Okolie is a level above. BTW, good interview with Okolie in The Sunday Times yesterday, came across as very level-headed and likeable.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lawrence Okolie: "I'm Going To Devastate Chris Billam-Smith!"

"That guy's a monster," Okolie said of Cieslak to Sky Sports. "Strong as hell. What he would do to someone else who's not on my level. He stopped someone who Chris went the distance with. He's the first person that I clinched and said, 'No, today's not going to be my day to maul him.' I'm hoping that he's a harder fight than Chris.""The way Chris fights, he's always all action.

He comes to throw a lot of punches, put a lot of pressure on where he's the home fighter, he's going to have 15,000 people screaming for him, hoping that he can dethrone me," Okolie said.

"So I'm going to have to be devastating and he's going to make it very easy for me."

"I've got my own ambitions, my own stuff, unifications, moving up to heavyweight. I've got someone here who wants to take that away from me and fulfil his own dreams. But unfortunately none of his dreams are going to be built on my nightmares. I'm going to devastate him," Okolie said.

[leejonesjnr]

Okolie said he’s never been inclined to maul?
Fascinating.

[tony1234]

Have they sorted out the time of the main event ? If I was SKY I'd put it on at 10pm as usual , putting it on past then would be a joke and just shows the stupidity of three televised shows on the same night

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is on Sky Showcase

[liamlion]

I went down the open workouts on the end of the pier this afternoon. The sun was blazing and such a beautiful setting. It’s always nice to see many of the boxing faces in person that you’ve seen over the years on tv.

I worry the pressure is gonna get to Billam-Smith and am expecting Okolie to win by stoppage. But this has been some journey for Billam-Smith. I was at his pro debut and his rise has been impressive. He’s brought Sky Sports Boxing to Bournemouth and for that, I am certainly very grateful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fesh4VgORLs

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Glass Joe]

Was a nice location for work out better than a shopping mall

[Glass Joe]

i might go to this as i live an hour away. been a long time since i went to a show.

[olij999]

Eggington vs pigford aka bacon and eggs, is a fornicating cracker fight. I like the idea of a gatekeeper type who’s lost a bunch but fought good level vs a can crusher that’s been doing good. Always hard to pick.

Really looking forward to that one. Pigford has been so frustrating to follow, should have broken through years ago. Has he left it too late to develop, or will Eggington feel the effects of one fight too far?

Any reason for the fairly chunky time gaps in Pigford's career? The 2019-21 is presumably Covid, but 18 months off after May 2017, 9 months after July 2015 - has he been injury-prone?

[magnus]

Not much been said about Lawal dropping out. Shalom seemed a bit miffed talking about it on IFL yesterday.