Former WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie (21-1, 16 KOs) is negotiating with heavyweight Luis Ortiz (34-3, 29 KOs). Okolie, 32, is trying to reinvent himself at heavyweight after outgrowing the cruiserweight division in 2023.
The soon-to-be 46-year-old Luis Ortiz would be the first semi-quality opponent that the 6’5″ Okolie will have faced at heavyweight. It’ll be interesting to see if Okolie falls apart as he did in losing to Chris Billiam Smith in a 12-round unanimous decision defeat on May 27, 2023. Billia-Smith dropped Okolie twice in that contest, and he was penalized twice for his constant clinching.
Ortiz Still Dangerous
Luis Ortiz lost to former IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz by a 12-round unanimous decision on September 4, 2022. Ortiz outboxed Ruiz and dominated him through long stretches in that contest. However, Ruiz sealed the victory by dropping Ortiz in rounds two and seven.
Ortiz’s last fight was on January 13th, 2024, when he destroyed journeyman Francisco Cordero in the first round. Luis hasn’t fought since.
Okolie would obviously use Luis Ortiz as a tool to continue progressing and put himself in position for a world title shot. He’ll have to move faster if he wants to get a chance at a money fight against the aging Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk before they retire. It’s too late for Okolie to get a shot at Tyson Fury, as he’s already retired, and if he does come back, it’ll be to fight Joshua.
The way Okolie looked in his loss to Billiam-Smith, he won’t do well if he fights any halfway decent heavyweight. Even Luis Ortiz might be too much for him, especially if he lands his power shots. Ortiz hits harder than Billiam-Smith, and Okolie couldn’t handle his power.
If Okolie loses to Luis Ortiz, he might want to consider retiring because there will be no future for him at heavyweight. Even with the softest matchmaking, Okolie won’t go anywhere in the division. As it is, he’s carved out a nice living without fighting any of the killers, but he may have to face the music that it’s over.
Former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie, now campaigning at heavyweight, is in talks to fight Luis Ortiz in the U.K., a source told ESPN. Ortiz, 45, returned last January in a shake-off-the-rust fight. It was his first fight since a competitive loss to Andy Ruiz in 2022.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 20, 2025
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