Finally, we have some official news regarding the undercard fights that will support the massive rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois at Wembley on July 19. As per Frank Warren’s Queensbury rules, two fights have been announced.
Dangerous Lerena Test
At heavyweight, Lawrence Okolie will be looking to make it two heavyweight wins in a row when he faces South Africa’s Kevin Lerena. And at light heavyweight, British and Commonwealth champion Lewis Edmonson will face Ukraine’s Daniel Lapin.
Of the two confirmed fights, the Okolie-Lerena fight is the most interesting. Londoner Okolie, AKA “The Sauce,” went up to join the heavyweight division in December, this after having won belts at cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Okolie wiped out Hussein Muhamed in a round, this whilst weighing an eye-catching 250 pounds (how Okolie make 200 pounds we will never know). Since then, although he was supposed to fight Richard Riakporhe a while back, only for the fight to fall though, Okolie has been inactive.
Against southpaw Lerena, 31-3(15), Okolie may or may not get tested. Lerena also fought as a cruiserweight, where he ruled as IBO champ, and Lerena has also boxed at bridgerweight, with him winning the WBC belt. It was in fact in his last fight that Lerena defeated Serhiy Radchenko to retain the bridger belt. As a heavyweight, Lerena is perhaps best known for dropping Daniel Dubois three times in the opening round, back in December of 2022.
Lerena can be dangerous, and he is usually durable and exciting to watch. Okolie may well need to be on his best behaviour in this one. Lerena has been stopped just the one time, this by Dubois, who recovered from being bowled over three times to stop Lerena in round three.
Since that loss, Lerena has gone 3-1, with the loss coming on points to Justis Huni.
Hopefully, plenty more action will be added to the July card and will be announced before too long. We are now just over five weeks away from the big rematch between Usyk and Dubois.