Okolie vs Chamberlain: Preview of the British Beef grudge match
Saturday 3 February 2018 23:32, UK
All you need to know before London rivals Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain put it all on the line this Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.
Live Fight Night
Background
It is a grudge fight that has grabbed the imagination, a rare chance to see two of Britain's emerging stars go head to head. Unbeaten records are on the line and reputations are at stake as two cruiserweights, entrenched in a bitter feud, take a south vs east London rivalry into The O2's squared circle.
Under the same Matchroom Boxing banner, a fight seemed inevitable between 2016 Rio Olympian Okolie and Brixton's Chamberlain, but it has come much sooner than expected and, with that, a feeling of the unknown clouds the contest.
Hackney's Okolie has the amateur pedigree and his devastating punch power, which has finished all but one of his seven victories inside three rounds, is a vicious weapon. Chamberlain though, betters on the technical side and his defiant victory over Wadi Camacho with a dislocated shoulder typified the warrior stereotype we sometimes so loosely afford to boxers.
It is a clash aligned with Joshua-Whyte and DeGale-Groves before them, and Okolie-Chamberlain is the latest instalment. The talking and guessing will soon end and, for one of these prospects, a boxing career and reputation is about to soar to new heights.
What the fighters say
What fellow fighters say
In terms of how the fight will go, I think it will be epic and phenomenal, because they are going to push each other past round six, round eight, and go into the championship rounds.
This fight is the opportunity to seize the naysayers, silence all the critics. I've sparred Chamberlain and he's been preparing for this for a long time, he is ready and the experience will get him the victory.
What the experts say
This is the sort of fight where nothing would surprise us, but I've trained with Okolie, he is an Olympian and he can bang. He looks bigger and stronger than Chamberlain, I think he wins by stoppage.
Normally, the one who is less emotionally invested wins, but I do think this time, all that is flipped around. I can make a case for Chamberlain on points or an Okolie stoppage. I'll slightly edge towards the latter.
Chamberlain has sparred out in nasty, uncomfortable places, his mental strength will have soared. I am going to go with Chamberlain, getting through the rough patches to take it on points. I wouldn't even rule out a late stoppage.
The weigh-in
Lawrence Okolie: 14st 3lbs
Isaac Chamberlain: 14st 2lbs
The time draws near…
Watch Lawrence Okolie vs Isaac Chamberlain, from The O2, London, Saturday, February 3, live on Sky Sports Main Event & Action.
