clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Lawrence Okolie gets new trainer in Shane McGuigan

The rising cruiserweight contender has a new top man in the corner.

Boxing at The Copper Box Arena Photo by James Chance/Getty Images
Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

British cruiserweight champion and rising contender Lawrence Okolie has been linked to a possible fight with reinstated WBA “super world” champion Denis Lebedev, and the 26-year-old prospect has decided to go with a new trainer in Shane McGuigan.

Okolie (12-0, 9 KO) is coming off of a March 23 TKO-4 win over veteran Wadi Camacho, a fight where Okolie added the Commonwealth title — the second time he’s won the Commonwealth title, in fact. He also fought on Feb. 2, taking care of journeyman Tamas Lodi in three rounds in a tune-up outing.

In 2018, Okolie scored wins over Isaac Chamberlain, Luke Watkins, and Matty Askin, working his way through the domestic ranks.

Lebedev (32-2, 23 KO) may well be faded, but the 39-year-old Russian is still a step up on paper from those opponents. His team are hoping to host Okolie in Russia, where Lebedev is a well-known name, having fought all but six of his pro bouts in his home country.

McGuigan currently has a strong stable of fighters, featuring Josh Taylor and Luke Campbell among others, and has also worked with Carl Frampton, George Groves, and David Haye. He was named BWAA Trainer of the Year in 2016, only the second UK trainer to receive the award, after Enzo Calzaghe in 2007.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bad Left Hook Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your global boxing news from Bad Left Hook