Fight Preview
Lawrence Okolie will put his WBO cruiserweight title at stake when he faces Chris Billam-Smith this Saturday in Bournemouth. A powerful Londoner, Okolie is unbeaten after 19 professional bouts. Fighting at Vitality Stadium (home of Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth), Okolie vs Billam-Smith forms part of a huge bill featuring several other local fighters; in particular they were former sparring partners and close friends before their boxing bout was set off – an exchange filled with tension that leaves both men feeling as much at stake for each party involved.
Okolie first won his World Boxing Organization (WBO) belt by stopping Krzysztof Glowacki in March 2021, and has successfully defended it three times since. Due to his impressive stoppage record, Okolie is heavily favored against any challenger that comes his way during fight night in Bournemouth.
Both opponents have shared an estimated 300 sparring rounds between them, making this contest particularly exciting. Billam-Smith has won British, European, Commonwealth titles in this division before, with Tommy McCarthy, Isaac Chamberlain and Armend Xhoxhaj being defeated along the way to secure his championship dreams at Vitality Stadium this Saturday.
Let’s check the latest picks, Boxing news, stats and Boxing expert picks for Okolie vs Billam-Smith. We’ve plenty of Boxing predictions for you to consider.
Billam-Smith has been impressively consistent over his last few bouts, winning each bout either via unanimous decision or knockout. The heavy-handed boxer has drawn comparisons to WBO super middleweight champion Anthony Joshua; possessing height, reach and punching power that should pose serious threats against Okolie on Saturday night.
Okolie is a power-puncher who excels at close quarters grappling, often drawing criticism for his aggressive clinch game and superior close range punching ability. Additionally, he can judge distance well to land long levers from range or move in close and use combinations against his opponent.
Many betting markets offer odds on an early knockout occurring during this fight.
The fighters will ringwalk at approximately 10:00 pm BST. Weigh-in took place Friday afternoon; both boxers came in on weight.
Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith Fight Information
- Date: 05/27/2023
- Time: 05:00 PM ET
- Location: AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.
- How to Watch Okolie vs Billam-Smith: ESPN+
- Live Stream: sho.com
Okolie vs Billam-Smith Betting Lines
Okolie is –400 according to our Vegas Boxing Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $25. On the other side, Billam-Smith is +300 according to the Vegas Boxing Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $300.
The implied probability for these two teams attached to the betting lines have Okolie at a 80% chance of winning the game, meanwhile Billam-Smith have 25% probability of finishing the game with the W.
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