Blackpool's Matty Askin ordered to defend British title against Lawrence Okolie

Blackpool's British cruiserweight champion Matty Askin looks set for a huge showdown with commonwealth title holder Lawrence Okolie.
Askin celebrates his KO win against Stephen SimmonsAskin celebrates his KO win against Stephen Simmons
Askin celebrates his KO win against Stephen Simmons
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The British Boxing Board of Control has ordered Askin to defend his Lonsdale belt against the undefeated Okolie (9-0), with bids due in by August 8 and the contest to take place by the end of November.

Askin, who won the title in May 2017 against Craig Kennedy before making a successful defence against Stephen Simmons, is set to put his belt on the line against the former Team GB Olympian.

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Okolie's promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested that, should he win the purse bid, the fight could take place on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title fight against Alexander Povetkin.

The meeting of the two former Olympic champions will take place in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium on September 22.

Askin, 29, has already taken to social media to express his interest in the contest, which would see Okolie begin as favourite following his crushing win over Luke Watkins last month.

Okolie claimed the commonwealth belt in devastating fashion, knocking out the previously unbeaten Watkins in just three rounds.

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But Askin - who has won 23 of his 27 fights, with his last defeat coming in March 2015 - doesn’t see it that way, telling Sky Sports he will “flatten” the challenger.

“He would be flat on his back,” Askin said. “I can punch, I can box and I can have a fight.

“Whatever I need to do against him, I would be doing. I would listen to my corner, and I think we have shown pretty well that we're good at devising plans, and we would pick the right one against him.

“I think it would go past four or five. I wouldn't see it going the distance, if I'm going to be honest.

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"I would be looking to go out there and do exactly what I like to do, and that's tear his head off."

Askin, ranked number 11 in the world according to boxing website Boxrec, took just two rounds to beat Simmons in his last outing in March.

The Scot announced his retirement following the bout.

"My performances of late have been pretty brutal,” Askin added.

"You see from the fights, if they stand in front of me, they are going to get hurt at some point.

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"Personally, I think my ability, my maturity, and the way that I'm boxing at the minute, shows that I shouldn't really be staying around this level much longer.

"I do believe that I'm levels above them."

Okolie, who boasts heavyweight world champion Joshua as part of his management team, has now beaten two undefeated fighters in succession.

Prior to his knockout victory against Watkins, the Londoner beat up-and-coming prospect Isaac Chamberlain on points.

Speaking after his win against Watkins, Okolie said: "I came to fight a champion and beat a champion.

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"There's a lot of my game people haven't seen yet. To get to the Olympics, turn pro and do what I have done, you have to have something about you.

"I feel like people almost disrespect me in that they think everything has been given to me."