Lawrence Okolie set to bring the sauce to Manchester in March

World cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie is set to make his BOXXER debut when he tops the bill of a blockbuster night of fighting action in Manchester on March 25th.

The talented WBO strap holder will put his title on the line against the unbeaten New Zealander David Light in a bout that will mark the Londoner's hotly-anticipated in-ring return, having last fought over 12 months ago.

Okolie, who is yet to taste defeat as a professional himself, returns to Manchester's AO Arena - the venue of his maiden professional victory in 2017 - desperate to put on a show and secure a victory that could tee-up a mouthwatering domestic unification affair against Richard Riakporhe.

But before then, it's all about getting the job done against Light for the hard-hitting 30-year-old.

"I know that BOXXER and Sky are going to deliver as long as I deliver in the ring," he said. "I've got to make sure that I beat David Light and then beat whoever is next in line.

"It's good to be back and I'm looking forward to the first step in the journey towards unifications and more world titles."

BOXXER CEO & Founder Ben Shalom added: "We're heading back to our spiritual home of Manchester and we're bringing 'The Sauce'.

"Lawrence Okolie's wait to get back inside the ring has been well documented, but I'm delighted to see a proper British elite fighter defending his title on home soil.

"The cruiserweight division is arguably the most exciting weight class in the sport right now and it's full of domestic stars who are clamouring to be crowned king - and Lawrence sits at the top of that mountain right now."
 

Meanwhile, Jack Catterall will also return to action after seeing his scheduled 'Bad Blood' February showdown with Josh Taylor postponed for a second time.

The Chorley-ace had been desperate to avenge his hugely controversial split-decision defeat against Taylor in Glasgow last year, but will now turn his attentions towards an opponent who will be named in due course, as he bids to remind the world of his world title credentials.

"It's a travesty what happened to Jack a year ago," Shalom said. "He should be fighting now as a world champion, but I believe his timer will come.

"For now, he needs to remind us all what he can do and get out there and fight again."

A pulsating fight card will also see Frazer Clarke take the next steps on his journey towards a potential heavyweight world title shot as he steps up considerably to tackle the experienced American campaigner Rydell Booker.

The former Team GB captain has already enjoyed success at the AO Arena on two occasions and will look to make it a hat-trick against an opponent who has previously shared the ring with the likes of Jermaine Franklin, Kubrat Pulev and Otto Wallin.

And that's not all, as Clarke's fellow 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Karriss Artingstall embarks on the latest chapter of her professional career, having shone in each of her two victories since moving up from the amateurs.

The 28-year-old southpaw was hugely impressive in her points success over Marina Sakharov in last year's historic all-female card at London's O2 Arena, and will look to extend her record to 3-0 as part of the undercard.

There will also be a second phase undercard announcement made in due course, but if you can't wait for your boxing fix, then don't forget that we will be bringing you live updates from London this weekend as Adam Azim headlines BOXXER's latest event.

We've got plenty of pre-fight build-up including previews, tipping pieces and more, so make sure you check it out.

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Confirmed Undercard To Date:

Mark Mothershaw

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