Lawrence Okolie has shared rounds with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but one sparring partner produced a formidable display that remains etched in his brain.
The former world cruiserweight champion comes off an emphatic heavyweight debut, dispatching limited operator Hussein Muhamed with a ruthless first-round finish last Saturday.
Before that, Okolie claimed the WBC bridgerweight title with an equally destructive stoppage against Lukasz Rozanski, returning to the win column following his defeat to Chris Billam-Smith.
And yet, after encountering some of the world’s most elite fighters in sparring, ‘The Sauce’ was most tested when he came up against a 15-year-old school boy.
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Lawrence Okolie names Moses Itauma as his toughest sparring partner
Ahead of his WBO title showdown against Krzysztof Glowacki back in 2021, Okolie was on his way to becoming one of the best fighters at 200 lbs.
But still, the Brit was astounded after sharpening his tools against an unproven youngster, who just so happens to be one of the brightest talents in the sport.
Moses Itauma is widely considered to be a future heavyweight star, building excitement around his undeniable potential with his spiteful power and sharp reflexes.
Following his second-round demolition over seasoned veteran Mariusz Wach, the 19-year-old will square off against Demsey McKean on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2.
And so, with Itauma looking to make another monumental statement on December 21, his success against Okolie in sparring is perhaps unsurprising.
“I don’t know what it was about him, he was so fast and explosive and also very skillful,” Okolie told talkSPORT.
“To be fair that’s the toughest spar I had. I was 27 and geared up for a world title shot and in my best shape.
“This boy came in his school uniform, taking off his tie and blazer and coming in to give some great work.
“That’s why I’m rooting for him, as I want someone with that much talent actually go and accomplish great things.”
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Will Lawrence Okolie face the winner of Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel?
Since moving up to the land of the giants, Okolie has insisted that his ultimate goal is to become a three-division world champion.
Seemingly, the most obvious route to a title shot would be for him to take on the winner of Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel’s WBC interim title clash on February 22.
The Londoner, after all, is ranked number five by the WBC, putting him one place ahead of former two-time heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.
Yet still, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that, before long, Okolie could find himself in a second encounter with Itauma, who continues to progress at a rapid rate.