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Parker-Wardley: Okolie makes bold prediction for heavyweight blockbuster
Lawrence Okolie has dropped his verdict on the upcoming WBO interim heavyweight title clash between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley on October 25.
The former cruiserweight champion has perhaps gone against the grain – believing Wardley will be too sharp for Parker.
“I believe Wardley is going to win,” Okolie told talkSPORT. “I believe Wardley is going to be a bit sharper, especially in those early rounds. I know Parker is an ex-world champion and has been in there with some of the best fighters, but he’s not had a lot of rounds recently."
Parker’s last fight against Martin Bakole only went two rounds after he landed a pair of flush right hands that put his opponent on the canvas, crowning him the interim champion.
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
Wardley is coming off a dramatic win against Justis Huni in June that saw him comfortably behind on all three judges’ scorecards before he landed a right hand from the gods in the 10th round, and Huni was counted out.
Okolie believes Wardley’s recent run of form compared to Parker’s should be enough to see him through the fight, but warns it could be different if Wardley fails to make an early statement.
“In his (Parker's) last fight, it was two rounds with Bakole, and before that, it was Wilder,” Okolie explained. “In the last two or three years, he’s only had I don’t know how many rounds.
“With Wardley, he’s been on a good run. I think his sharpness will be able to get to Parker, and I think he’ll hurt him in the middle rounds and end it by stoppage, but if he doesn’t and the fight goes on later, I think Parker’s experience is really going to show.”
Okolie will have a keen eye on the fight through the lens of his own heavyweight career as he plans a run at a world title in 2026.
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