For the first time in over a year, reigning WBO World Cruiserweight Champion Lawrence Okolie will step into a boxing ring. Having twice defended his title since winning it off Krzysztof Glowacki in 2021, Okolie has had a prolonged and unintended sabbatical from the sport courtesy of a messy contract dispute.
Could this open up an opportunity for New Zealand’s David Light to spring a huge upset on the rusty defending champion? It’s a big ask in front of a roaring English crowd, but the circumstances of this cruiserweight title fight certainly generate some intrigue. Dare we say it’s something of a David vs. Goliath match-up. We dig deeper into the Okolie vs. Light odds with all the latest numbers from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 24th, 9:00 P.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright winner odds, the incumbent Lawrence Okolie is an overwhelming favourite heading into this match-up. Despite spending 13 months on the sidelines, Okolie is paying 1.10 to win the fight against David Light’s long odds of 6.50. It’s safe to say that William Hill doesn’t think the WBO Cruiserweight belt will be doing any long haul travel anytime soon.
When the odds for this fight are put under the microscope, it doesn’t get any prettier for New Zealand’s top cruiserweight. The bookies have this one overwhelmingly finishing with David Light on the canvas, paying 1.36 for an Okolie knockout. Okolie winning on points is the next most likely result with Light’s best shot a being a knockout—though, this is paying a whopping 11.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 24th, 9:00 P.M. (GMT)
Chances are this fight will end in Okolie defending his belt. There’s a reason he’s the current champion—he has an imposing right hand, enormous reach and physical presence, and is a skilled fighter. With the ambition of following in the footsteps of Oleksandr Usyk and unifying the cruiserweight division, Okolie is essentially using Light as a warm up fight before moving on to bigger and better things.
However, if ever there was a time to pick an upset, it’s here. We’re not saying that Light will win—what we’re saying is he’s a better than a 10% chance of knocking Okolie out, which makes these odds of 11.00 attractive. Light has been sparring with fellow Kiwi Junior Fa, a 140 kg behemoth of a heavyweight boxer. He’ll be stepping into the ring in Manchester unbeaten and unfazed by the size of Okolie. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Light may well do what he’s done a dozen times before and leave his opposition stunned on the canvas.
