Okolie and Lerena agree to title fight

Kevin Lerena holds the interim version of Lawrence Okolie’s “bridgerweight” title

Despite previously floating the idea of giving Deontay Wilder a title shot, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced today that “bridgerweight” champion Lawrence Okolie has come to an agreement with interim champion Kevin Lerena for their ordered title consolidation.

Lerena (30-3, 14 KO) is coming off a competitive decision loss to Justis Huni on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou card, but as that was in a real divisione, he retained the secondary belt he won against Ryad Merhy in 2023. He’s not a terrible fighter by any means, but doesn’t look like any more of a threat to Okolie (20-1, 15 KO) than Lukasz Rozanski, whom Okolie needed less than a round to maul in May.

This is usually where I’d bemoan Okolie’s refusal to go up to heavyweight, but keeping him quarantined safely between divisions that actually matter seems like the best thing to do with him.