The British heavyweight boxer, Lawrence Okolie, has offered his help to Jake Paul to prepare for his fight against Anthony Joshua, proposing sparring sessions with the YouTuber turned boxer.
The Paul vs. Joshua showdown, scheduled as an eight-round professional bout with 10-ounce gloves in Miami, was recently announced. It will be Joshua’s first fight since September 2024, where he suffered a knockout loss in the fifth round against Daniel Dubois.
Okolie, former cruiserweight champion (22-1, 16 KOs), is in preparation for his own fight, which will coincide with the Paul-Joshua event on December 19 in Nigeria. This fight will mark his return to the ring after a biceps injury suffered in the first round in July.
Okolie added that he would like Paul to experience what it’s like to be in the ring with a world-class heavyweight.I want to go and help Jake Paul, give him a chance. I want to go to Puerto Rico. What I don’t want to happen to him is for him to be completely destroyed in a round or something like that if AJ sets his mind to it.
Lawrence Okolie
Okolie, who has been Joshua’s sparring partner in the past, does not rule out the possibility that the fight will extend beyond the first rounds, despite general expectations.I want to know what allows Jake Paul to say to himself: ‘I’m going to get in the ring with a muscular 250-pound man from England, this big guy, Olympic gold medalist, two-time heavyweight world champion, in front of millions of fans on Netflix’. I need to know. Maybe he has a secret that I don’t know.
Lawrence Okolie
I’m not going to sit here and pretend there isn’t a huge difference in size, ability, and everything else. But, crazier things have happened. So, we’ll see. From what I’ve heard from AJ, I don’t think he’s going to throw a massive right hand and finish it in 30 seconds.
Lawrence Okolie
