They say boxing is all about timing and who has their timing right should be the deciding factor as LAWRENCE OKOLIE gets his first world title shot against Krzystztof Glowacki at the Wembley Arena.

Has this crack at the vacant WBO cruiserweight strap come too soon for the Hackney native in just his 16th professional bout, or is the Polish veteran ripe for the taking, with plenty of miles now on the clock? The bookies suggest it will be the latter scenario that plays out, with 'The Sauce' 3/10 to prove too hot for the visitor, who is a 100/30 chance in what looks an intriguing contest.

Smooth progress for British star

Everything has been quick when it comes to Okolie's boxing career so far, having qualified for the 2016 Olympics with very little amateur experience before going on to pick up the British, Commonwealth and European titles after just 14 outings in the paid ranks. Standing at 6'5" with a huge reach and natural power, his physical advantages have allowed him to progress at such a rate, but he will need more than that to capture world honours and the signs are there that he is really improving now.

He came in for plenty of stick for his ugly (and very boring) points wins over local rival Isaac Chamberlain and the experienced Matty Askin in 2018, but a run of five straight stoppages have followed and there was a maturity to his work when he broke down the previously unbeaten Yves Ngabu over seven rounds in October 2019. His next outing in December last year was meant to be this title bid versus Glowacki, only for the latter to fail a Covid-19 test and Okolie was left to despatch another Pole instead, the overmatched Nikodem Jezeski, in two rounds.

While Okolie barely broke sweat that night, it allowed him to shake off the ring rust and that could prove a big positive here, especially with his opponent's last outing coming in June 2019.