WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie has shed some light on the ongoing legal dispute with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
Okolie indicates that their feud began in the aftermath of his fight with Michal Cieslak back in February.
The boxer claims that his promotional agreement with Hearn came to an end – with Hearn allegedly unwilling to match other offers being presented to Okolie.
Hearn has rejected Okolie’s position – stating that the unbeaten boxer owes Matchroom at least one more fight.
As a result, their respective legal teams are now involved and both sides hope to reach a resolution on the matter.
“I’ve got a new deal that I presented, I said, ‘Matchroom, you don’t even need to match these numbers, just get close and I’ll stay with you.’ They said, ‘Absolutely not, if you wanna take that new deal, you’re gonna have to pay my company £500,000,’” Okolie told IFL TV.
“Our contract’s come to an end, you either pay more or I move on. Eddie Hearn of all people should really understand. He was with Sky for years, had amazing shows, built up a host of fighters. Then a $1 billion check came and Eddie ran off to DAZN.”
Because of the ongoing legal rift, Okolie has been out of the ring for nearly a year.
The boxer has been ordered, by the World Boxing Organization, to make a mandatory defense against David Light. The purse bids are scheduled to take place next week – after a 7-day extension was given. At the moment, Hearn’s company intends to take part in the purse bid, as they look to secure the promotional rights to the fight.