LAWRENCE OKOLIE will finally defend his WBO cruiserweight world title on March 25.
The 30-year-old has been out of the ring for a year and undergone a public split and spat with former promoter Eddie Hearn.
The former McDonald’s worker – nicknamed ‘The Sauce’ – has also parted company with Anthony Joshua’s 258 management firm.
And the 6ft 5in KO artist has relocated from Hackney to Dubai so has also ended his burgeoning relationship with trainer Shane McGuigan.
After a tumultuous 12 months, he will finally return to the ring in Manchester to meet mandatory challenger David Light.
“I’ll make ‘light’ work of him,” said Okolie, who is returning to Sky Sports after a brief stay on Hearn’s DAZN app.
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“It’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to the first step in the journey towards unifications and more world titles.”
Jack Catterall, the Chorley super-lightweight who was cruelly denied the undisputed status last February with a sickening points loss against Josh Taylor, also gets his long-awaited return.
The rematch has been booked and cancelled three times now and looks doomed.
So the keen swimmer is dipping his toe back into the water with a tune-up bout in his local arena while the 29-year-old waits for another world title crack.
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Taylor and Catterall came face-to-face in Manchester last month – at Liam Smith’s ruthless win over Chris Eubank Jr – and had to be separated by security.
But their rerun inside the ropes look cursed now and it seems unlikely they will ever settle the score in the ring.
2020 Olympic bronze winner Frazer Clarke, 31, will enjoy his latest heavyweight step-up bout against 41-year-old American gatekeeper Rydell Booker who has won just two of his last nine.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
