David Light challenges Lawrence Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight title at the AO Arena in Manchester this Saturday, live on Sky Sports; "It's a nice safe place to hide behind being the underdog," Okolie warns Light; Michael Gomez Jr promises a fiercely competitive fight on the undercard
Thursday 23 March 2023 14:31, UK
Lawrence Okolie came face to face with David Light at the last media event ahead of their clash this Saturday.
Light will challenge Okolie for his WBO cruiserweight world title at the AO Arena in Manchester, live on Sky Sports.
The unbeaten New Zealander is adamant he can upset Okolie this weekend.
The mandatory challenger, he pointed out: "I'm not here on somebody's else's terms… I've earned the shot.
"I'm coming to win. I know he's a proud man and he's going to defend with everything he's got," he continued. "I'm not reinventing the wheel.
"You've got to punch the other person more than they punch you. I've done the work."
It's the work that Okolie is looking forward to.
"He's coming to win," the champion said of his challenger. "It sets you up for a lot of openings."
But he cautioned: "You don't get to this position overlooking people ever.
"It's a nice safe place to hide behind being the underdog," Okolie continued. "When I see him I know what he really is. I'm prepared for what he may bring and will do what I need to do.
"I am going to be from round one matching him and overmatching him for pressure and power.
"Saturday's going to come. One of us is going to win and the other one's going to become irrelevant.
"So I'm looking for to it."
On the undercard Michael Gomez Jr, the son of hugely popular local fighter Michael Gomez, will fight Levi Giles for the English super-featherweight title.
But as soon as they came face to face on Thursday Gomez Jr sounded raring to get started early.
"I'll punch you up now," Gomez told Giles directly.
"I don't know anything about him," he added with equal belligerence. "Saturday night we'll find out who he is."
Giles remained calm as he faced his opponent. "I do my talking in the ring," he said levelly. "It's a good test for me, see where I'm at.
"We know what he brings. Forward, one dimensional," he added. "We know what he's going to bring and we know how to deal with it."
Gomez shrugged that off. His tactics, he promised, would be more simple. "I'm just going to punch his face in," he said. "I'm just going to go in there, stick it on him and see how good he is."
Olympic bronze medallist Karriss Artingstall was perfectly confident as she went head to head with her opponent Linzi Buczynskyj.
"Her throwing her shots is going to leave more openings for me so I'm going to find my shots as well," Artingstall warned.
"I just wanted the opportunity to show everyone on a big stage what I can actually do," Buczynskyj insisted. "I'm not scared to take any fight. I'll fight anyone at anytime at any stage.
"I have got the experience," she added. "She's the one that's got everything to prove."
But Artingstall promised: "I am a level above you, two levels if anything and I'll show that on Saturday."
Watch Lawrence Okolie vs David Light live on Sky Sports this Saturday
