Former world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie is scheduled to fight on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois II heavyweight rematch. Promoter Queensberry Promotions announced that the 31-year-old Okolie will face Kevin Lerena in a 12-round contest on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. Okolie is no stranger to Wembley, having fought there previously in 2018 as a cruiserweight, where he defeated Matty Askin to claim the British title.
Now competing in the heavyweight division, Okolie boasts a record of 21 wins and 1 loss, with 16 victories coming by knockout. He currently holds the position of the WBC`s number one contender. Since teaming up with trainer Joe Gallagher, Okolie appears to have rediscovered his destructive form, achieving successive first-round knockouts against Lukasz Rozanski and Hussein Muhamed.
Kevin Lerena, with a record of 31 wins and 3 losses (15 KOs), has competed in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight ranks. British fans will recall his thrilling encounter with Daniel Dubois in 2022 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he floored Dubois three times in the opening round before being stopped in the third. Since that bout, Lerena has won three of his subsequent four fights, with his only defeat coming in a competitive performance against Justis Huni, who was recently knocked out by Fabio Wardley.
The undercard will also feature an intriguing light-heavyweight battle between two undefeated prospects: Daniel Lapin and Lewis Edmondson, both holding identical 11-0 records. Ukraine`s Lapin will be fighting as part of Team Usyk, aiming for a victory ahead of the main event. Edmondson, known as ‘The Saint’, has built considerable momentum, having won the British title by defeating Dan Azeez in October 2023. He added the Commonwealth belt to his collection in March 2024 with a points victory over Oluwatosin Kejawa.
Currently ranked 15th and 14th respectively in the IBF light-heavyweight division, Lapin and Edmondson understand that a win on this high-profile undercard could significantly advance their position towards a potential world title opportunity.
