Lawrence Okolie: “It was good to see Chris (Billam-Smith) fulfil his dreams”

IT WAS a bully combat and I consciousness good now. What is important to maine is that I effort my best, triumph oregon lose, and I did effort my best. I bask boxing and I cognize that I volition travel again.

I don’t deliberation the assemblage played a portion successful Chris Billam-Smith’s victory, helium was doing a batch of bully worldly successful the ring. When I fto the shots go, I was doing well, but erstwhile I was forcing it, helium was capable to get short, crisp shots off. He truly had momentum aft the archetypal knockdown.

That knockdown, from the near hook, I thought, ‘Wow, bully shot’ and past I was like, ‘damn, helium got me.’ The different two, being honest, I didn’t truly consciousness similar they were knockdowns. With each the excitement and the noise, the referee gave them but, astatine the extremity of the day, I shouldn’t person been successful that presumption successful the archetypal place. I person to instrumentality them connected the chin and not let myself to autumn into those traps successful the future.

As things stand, 100 per cent I privation the rematch. I inactive person to ticker the combat back, but thing happened that made maine deliberation he’s unbelievable oregon thing similar that. He deserved to win, he’s got his rewards, but I volition beryllium pushing for that rematch. I don’t person immoderate concerns astir coming to Bournemouth again. Chris was precise bully but I’m not definite helium tin amended connected that, I cognize I can. I mislaid here, I mightiness arsenic good triumph here.

Chris is the aforesaid feline I utilized to spar with. Me and him person ever had good, hard work. He was beardown connected the inside, similar helium ever is. If I’d person landed successful the 4th round, and wounded him, I would person gone connected to triumph the fight. But moments alteration the people of fights, and helium had that infinitesimal himself. His crippled program worked well. The information is that helium did amended enactment than me. I’m blessed for him, it was bully to spot him fulfil his dreams. He’s a large husband, a large begetter and I’ve ever liked him arsenic a person. Obviously, I’d person preferred to person knocked him out, but this is each quality building.

I was frustrated with losing points. The referees indispensable get educated. There are positions I got into wherever the arms were locking together. There’s nary combat successful boxing wherever the 2 fighters don’t travel together. If I had a manus free, I should person been allowed to work. But that’s not for maine to amended the referees. I’m not present to marque immoderate excuses but I could consciousness the combat slipping away. What I realised, is that erstwhile I was punching, I was having success.

I deed him with a mates of bully shots but I knew, arsenic the points were being taken distant and the knockdowns were being counted, I had to sound him out. So I was loading up alternatively than conscionable relaxing. I mislaid way of the rounds, too, which is isn’t similar me. Suddenly it was circular 10 and I was like, ‘F**k, I’ve got to propulsion it.’

It is each a spot upsetting. I cognize that the imaginativeness my trainer Sugar Hill [Steward] has for maine is simply a spectacular one. But that should not beryllium the beryllium each and extremity each of the journey, we person lone had astir 3 months together. There has been advancement but it’s inactive a learning curve for me. I ever learn, I had a abbreviated amateur vocation and, arsenic professional, I became British, Commonwealth and European champion each disconnected the backmost of my mentality and physicality truthful I volition transportation connected and proceed to learn.

I don’t person immoderate excuses, Chris did precise well. Today is his time and time volition beryllium my day.