British rivals to meet at the Copper Box Arena this weekend

Cruiserweight rivals Lawrence Okolie and Wadi Camacho promise exciting action in their showdown duel at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday.

Former Dagenham BC amateur Okolie’s British title and Camacho’s Commonwealth belt are at stake as the local rivals meet on the Matchroom promotion headlineded by Charlie Edwards’ WBC world flyweight title defence against Angel Moreno.

Hot-favourite Okolie insists he will record his 12th consecutive victory in his two unbeaten years as a pro after his spell at the Dagenham club.

The win will also mean that he will recapture the Commonwealth belt he won last year when stopping Luke Watkins which he later vacated.

Saturday’s rivals came face to face in the ring at The O2 Arena earlier this year after Okolie slammed his 11th straight victory, halting Hungarian Tamas Lodi in three rounds.

And the 26-year-old predicts another explosive win on Saturday against his 33-year-old rival who has 21 wins in 28 contests. “Well done to Wadi for taking the fight unlike a lot of cruiserweights who say a lot, but don’t step forward,” said Okolie. “Wadi will be beaten like the rest.”

Camacho, hoping to record a fifth straight victory in title bouts, laughs off the bookies’ odds that make him a huge underdog.

“I have upset favourites before and I can’t wait to do it again on Saturday. Lawrence is in for a big shock at the Copper Box,” said the experienced cruiserweight.

Camacho, who is based in Canning Town, was last in action in November when he beat Arfan Iqbal at York Hall.

The 33-year-old has won each of his last four bouts and will hope to extend that record on Saturday.

But Okolie will be a formidable foe for Camacho as he looks to take another step towards a possible shot at a world title before the year is out.

At the top of the bill, Edwards makes the first defence of the world title he won in December when he faces Spain’s Moreno.

Joshua Buatsi and Liam Conroy clash for the British light heavyweight title on a bill that also features Lewis Ritson, Jason Quigley and Sean McGoldrick.

It looks set to be an entertaining bill for those in attendance at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday with a whole host of local talent on show.