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WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie does not see any possibility where Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will challenge him.
Last November, the boxing world was shocked when Canelo’s handlers made a request to make a big jump in weight to challenge WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu.
The cruiserweight limit is 200-pounds, while Canelo is the undisputed super middleweight champion – a division where the weight limit is 168-pounds.
Canelo, who plans to fight again in May, has never fought beyond the light heavyweight limit of 175-pounds.
Makabu is a much safer fighter than Okolie – in terms of physical dimensions.
Okolie is 6’5 and has a reach of 82.5 inches. He can easily compete at heavyweight – and plans to in the future.
Makabu is a smaller cruiserweight at 6’0 and a reach of 74 inches.
Canelo is only 5’8 at best, with a reach of 70.5 – which makes the Makabu fight a safer proposition when compared to the much bigger cruisers like Okolie.
Should Canelo ever fight Makabu, and wins the title, Okolie does not expect to get a call for a unification.
“No matter what, Canelo is a great fighter,” Okolie explained to Mirror Fighting. “He might be smaller or whatever else but he’s pound-for-pound No.1.
“Him and Makabu is actually an interesting fight that makes you go ‘oh, who do I favor in that one?’ I’m realistic and I just can’t see me and Canelo fighting, I’d be so shocked if they wanted that fight. Not because they’re scared or anything but just the height difference, the weight difference, the strength it’s just too much.
“He’s probably the best in the world at the moment, a very talented fighter, but there’s just limitations to the human body. That is that someone who weighs in 200-pounds vs someone who’s able to weigh in at 168-pounds, not to mention what they are on the day. It would be nice for my bank account and of course my legacy, but I just can’t see it happening personally.”