Lawrence Okolie blasts out helpless rival in quick win before making plea to Moses Itauma

Dec 22, 2025 - 12:30

Lawrence Okolie brutally dispatched of Ebenezer Tetteh before calling for a clash with Moses Itauma in 2026.

Okolie stepped into the ring as a heavyweight for the second time in his career in his first ever outing on Nigerian soil.

Okolie was simply too strong for Tetteh who was quickly out of his depth and was pulled out[/caption]

The Briton dominated an overmatched Tetteh from the opening bell, in what was a complete onslaught as many had foreseen.

Tetteh’s legs went after a stiff right hand in the opening round and he never fully recovered.

In the second stanza, Okolie crushed his foe to the canvas with a chopping two-punch combination which left him on his knees, and with nothing left in the tank.

A depleted Tetteh then retired from his stool and was unable to continue, securing a routine stoppage win for ‘The Sauce’.

During his post-fight interview with DAZN, ‘The Sauce’ confirmed that he hopes to share the ring with one of the sport’s rising stars Itauma next.

He explained: “We’re looking forward to the future.

“I’m wishing Moses Itauma luck in his fight against [Jermaine] Franklin, and then after that we’ve been mandated to box for the final eliminator for the world title.

“Two Nigerians getting it on. It’s going to be amazing.”

When asked if the fight could be held in Nigeria, Okolie replied: “I mean yeah, that’s what we want.

“We are already in discussions, obviously Moses needs to finish his fight well and then it’s there.”

Will Lawrence Okolie and Moses Itauma fight in 2026?

At the start of December, the WBC ordered Okolie and Itauma to fight in an eliminator bout.

Should they face off, the winner will become the mandatory challenger for heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

While it’s unclear whether we will see the Queensberry stablemates share the ring, Okolie is certainly up for the chance to take on undefeated Itauma.

His alternative option to Okolie could be a clash with newly crowned WBA ‘regular’ title holder Murat Gassiev who dispatched of Kubrat Pulev.

And when ordered to fight Frank Sanchez in an IBF final eliminator, Itauma’s team had rejected the invitation to protect his No.1 rankings with both the WBO and WBA.

But before exploring his next option, the rising star is gearing up to fight Jermaine Franklin instead on January 24 in Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.