Lawrence Okolie sets sights on cruiserweight world titles after Wadi Camacho bout
Okolie faces Camacho on Saturday for the British and Commenwealth belts but is already looking further ahead
Lawrence Okolie has set his sights firmly on a world title in the cruiserweight division, but he must first overcome Saturday's task at hand in fellow Brit Wadi Camacho.
The 6'5" fighter faces Camacho this Saturday night on the undercard to the first defence of Charlie Edwards' WBC flyweight world title against Angel Moreno at London's infamous Copper Box Arena.
Having previously held the commonwealth belt, Okolie will be hoping to leave the arena with it once more before making major steps in his career - with world titles already in the sights of the 11-fight novice.
With Oleksandr Usyk's imminent move up to the heavyweight division, all four major world titles will become vacant and Okolie hopes that a win over Camacho will mean he can set his sights on the biggest belts of the division.
The 26-year-old is well aware, however, that he must get past Camacho first.
Britain's current boxing world champions
Show all 8"On paper it's going to be a good test," Okolie told Sky Sports.
"He's taken a lot of good British fighters the distance, he's on a good winning streak, Commonwealth champion. It should be a competitive fight on paper, but I don't kind of feel that way, I'm looking forward to it."
"I like to think that I should be stopping someone like Wadi Camacho if I am where I visualise myself.
"So if I'm unable to do it, then I'll have to go home and take a look at myself and say 'am I who I think I am'. I don't want to have to do that, so I'm going to knock him out."
"Usyk is moving up, so I have to set my sights on that.
"I don't want to be British champion for five years of my career or whatever. World title's there, world title's mine."
And it's not just the cruiserweight belts Okolie is hoping to clean up, with the size and punch power most heavyweights would envy and sky-high confidence, the Hackney-born fighter believes a move up to boxing's blue riband division will 'definitely happen'.
Indeed, a social media spat with Dillian Whyte in which Okolie posted a video of the pair sparring led to questions being asked of his future and despite being in the early stages of his career, he is already looking beyond the cruiserweight division.
"My aim wasn't ever to cause a stir with that, it was just a lot of people talk about me in the media and on their platforms.
"When there are fighters who are below me, or coaches, or people that I won't engage, but Dillian Whyte spoke about me on the day that I posted. I didn't like what was said, so that's his opinion of my boxing, so I made my opinion on him and me boxing.
"In terms of moving up to heavyweight, I believe definitely it's something that's going to happen. I always believe in myself and I've always set targets and gone and accomplished them. That's what I'll say on that.
"I'm not going to single him out and say I'm gunning for Dillian Whyte," said Okolie.
"I'm doing my own career, but at the end of the day, I don't say stuff for no reason. It is what it is. We'll see how I handle Wadi and we'll see what I do at cruiserweight, but definitely that's a fight I would happily take."
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