WBO #1 contender and hometown favorite Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) defeated and dethroned previously unbeaten WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) by twelve round majority decision on Saturday night at Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England. Billam-Smith dropped Okolie in round four. Okolie was hurt but managed to survive the round. Okolie was deducted a point for holding in round five. Okolie was deducted another point for holding in round seven. Billam-Smith looked like he was running out of gas in round eight. Okolie went to his knees in round ten and Billam-Smith was credited with another knockdown although it appeared to be a pushdown. Billam-Smith scored another questionable knockdown in round eleven. In the end, Billam-Smith won by scores of 112-112, 116-107, 115-108.
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Super welterweight Sam Eggington (34-8, 20 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten Joe Pigford (20-1, 19 KOs) in round five. Eggington rocked Pigford prompting a referee’s stoppage.
One of the worst fights I ever saw.
1- Terrible scoring 112-112, I dont know which fight that judge was watching.
2- Knockdowns in rounds 10th & 11th were questionable more like slipping.
3- Ugly fight, the referee was very lenient, he should have disqualify Lawrence.
Questionable for sure but I don’t blame the ref okolie was just trying to hold and kind of fell over but thankfully he called then knockdowns or Okolie may have won with that scoring .
I dont think is ok to call knockdowns when there aren’t any. On the hand, referee should have penalized Lawrence for the holding, grabbing, coming in with his head, coming in/pushing with his shoulders
99/100 I would agree with you but when a fighter is holding that much and essentially just keeps falling over while he’s trying to hold and something glancing lands you either have to start calling them knockdowns or DQ him.
Judge Benjamin Rodriguez scored it a 112-112 draw – seemingly missed his most recently scheduled Specsavers appointment.
I hate to say this about any fighter but I hope we never see Okolie again. All this dude does is hold. He can’t do anything without holding first. The ref has more patience than me I would have DQ him after 4-5 rounds . Also that 112-112 card was a joke considering there was what 3 knockdowns and 2 point deductions.
I never saw Okolie fighting before, I was wondering if this is his MO or something was wrong with him tonight, like he got hurt & could not recover, did not train properly, or took Chris lightly
To he honest,
Okolie has been unwatchable for quite a while now.
That’s the second consecutive fight Okolie has lost a point for holding… not sad he lost. Somewhere, Henry Akindwande is thinking Okolie holds too much.
Wow, I haven’t heard that name is so long!
Akindwande made John Ruiz look like Arturo Gatto.
I remember that fight, the fight commentators were saying at that time, Henry was afraid of John Ruiz
Maybe Okolie just needs a hug.
Okolie fights are unwatchable. Henry Akiwande and John Ruiz fights even today are more entertaining.
Fantastic !!!!! BRING ON SPENCE / CRAWFORD
Okalie looks like he forgot that he is allowed to jab. ( if he knows how. ). as for boxing. “. FORGET IT. “. he stank the place out ! Just did not have a clue,. Looked like a giant. Bambi,. Billim Smith. didn’t have to do anything. !!! one punch in round 4. was all he did,. & all it took. ! PUSH. & GRAB,. what he been working on. ! Maybe too much sauce. !
Regardless of the questionable knock-downs, how does a judge get 112-112 when one fighter got dropped 3 times, and deducted 2 points? That’s 50-40 from 5 rounds. Even if the guy wins every round after that, which he didn’t, he still can’t win. That ref should be banned for life.
Looks like THE SAUCE came with an expiration date.
05-28-2023.
The referee should have taken two or three points from okolie-whose boxing was atrocious and the judge who had it a draw should never be hired again!
Okolie was pathetic with his holding-Unbelievable bad coaching-we pay to watch this rubbish??rush grab punch rush grab???-painful to watch-Right man won