The WBC-mandated match between British WBC bridgerweight champion Lawrence Okolie and South African challenger Kevin Lerena seems to be devolving into an ongoing saga of failed negotiations and postponed purse bid. While the WBC itself had reported in July that the two parties had reached an agreement during the compulsory negotiation period, they later moved to purse bids which had been scheduled for today. As was recently revealed by boxing reporter Jake Donovan, now this same purse bid has been moved to the date of October 1st instead.
One particular fact that sticks out in what should have been a relatively easy negotiation period or purse bid proceeding is that Boxxer, Lawrence Okolie’s (20-1, 15 KO’s) promoter, is involved. Boxxer has a prevalent history in pulling fighters out of purse bid proceedings at the last moment, which might shed light onto why this fight has yet to emerge.
Furthermore, even if that weren’t the case, Boxxer, as a promotional outfit, is much better connected when it comes to broadcasting contracts and financially better off than Kevin Lerena’s (30-3, 14 KO’s) promoter, Golden Gloves, which should tilt any sort of purse bid in the favor of Boxxer were they actually to occur.
Kevin Lerena spoke on the lack of progress last week during an interview with Boxing Social where he indicated Okolie was attempting to fight British former cruiserweight (200 lbs) rival Richard Riakporhe (17-1, 13 KO’s) instead in a WBC bridgerweight (200-224 lbs) title defense. Conveniently, like Okolie, Riakporhe is also signed to Boxxer.
“I’m not sure if it was true but was hearing that Lawrence Okolie was trying to make the [Richard] Riakporhe fight,” Lerena told Boxing Social. “I stand to be corrected―I could be wrong because it could be hearsay, but what I am saying is if that is the case, he needs to pay me a heft step-aside fee to allow Riakporhe to take my position. And to be honest, I’m not interested in a step-aside fee. I want the fight.“
Disturbingly, most of the fighters from Boxxer that pulled out of purse bids usually had a fight announced within a week or two after the fighter’s withdrawal. The most vivid example of this includes Richard Riakporhe himself, who pulled out of a scheduled purse bid at the very last moment to face then-IBF Australian champion Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KO’s) last year, only to be announced to be fighting French cruiserweight Dylan Bregeon (14-6-1, 3 KO’s) not long after.
The fact it is rumored Okolie is entertaining fighting another Boxxer fighter in Riakporhe only further asserts that the promotion is somehow involved with delaying the Lerena fight. However, the recent decision by the WBC to reschedule the Okolie-Lerena purse bid to October 1st suggest the sanctioning body is not willing to allow Okolie to face any other opponent but Lerena.
Depending on how Boxxer chooses to proceed, Okolie could find himself stripped of his WBC bridgerweight title if he refuses to defend it against Lerena who remains his mandatory opponent―and has expressed his unwillingness to take a step-aside deal unless it was highly-lucrative.
