Okolie (23-1, 17 KOs) doesn't speak the language, so that's perhaps partly why he looked disinterested during their inaugural press conference in the French capital before Queensberry's latest European trip in two months' time.

Even still, there was one key point he wanted to stress in his opening remarks.

"I heard thank you Queensberry, DAZN but not Lawrence Okolie for the opportunity? You know I don't speak French."

"I'll thank you after the fight for winning the belt," Yoka replied.

The belt he's referring to is Okolie's WBC trinket title, one he won with a highlight reel first-round knockout against former sparring partner Hussein Muhamed before Christmas in 2024 and subsequently defended with one arm over 10 arduous rounds to outpoint longtime contender Kevin Lerena on the Usyk-Dubois II undercard in July.

Former IBF beltholder Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) lost more conclusively to The Ring's top pound-for-pound star later that night, freshened up his team - including a brief trainer switch - and this week was in London for a first press conference of his own, standing opposite Fabio Wardley in the Ipswich puncher's first WBO world title defense.

Boxing is unfair at the best of times, but former WBO cruiserweight titleholder Okolie will not need telling that provided he keeps winning, a similar championship opportunity awaits in another weight class. Hindered by having a style far from pretty, world-level consistency was his calling card at 200 pounds, as unorthodox as it seemed.

It's winner-stays-on and Olympic champion Yoka (15-3, 12 KOs) knows that better than anyone, having inked a Queensberry deal last year and sharing a card with Okolie in Lagos before Christmas, where the topic of a potential matchup between the pair was floated.

"You're a man of your word, we talked back in Germany and Nigeria on the possibility of having a fight. You're not ducking and I respect you for that," Yoka continued, aware Okolie could've easily looked elsewhere.

It wouldn't have benefited him much at this stage of his career, mind.

For the first time, the Londoner relinquishes physical advantages in height and reach against a more mature Yoka, more battle-hardened after a trio of dispiriting 10-round decision defeats between May 2022 and December 2023.

Losing to Ring-rated contender Martin Bakole and Carlos Takam is hardly catastrophic, though the more recent Ryad Merhy defeat was alarming given how the former cruiserweight had looked against similar opposition.

Reinvigorated by training in London under Don Charles, Yoka is now presented with the perfect acid test of his heavyweight credentials.

"It was difficult to make cruiserweight, bridgerweight too, I'm at my best, strongest, most explosive and most comfortable at heavyweight. Still 8-9 weeks [until fight night], can get into really good shape, I feel my best self right now," Okolie added.

Having weighed a career-heaviest 271.25lbs for a two-round blowout of Ghana's Ebenezer Tetteh on December 21, the Joe Gallagher-trained contender would be better served around 230 pounds.

Two men who still have to watch their weight carefully are junior middleweights Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj. Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) is said to be progressing at an impressive rate and the 22-year-old's arrival within Queensberry's stable represents a shrewd investment into the future.

His father Issa, who doubles as his trainer and manager, told The Ring's Anson Wainwright they've been spending extended time training and learning in Las Vegas over the past few years readying him for world title contention.

After needing five rounds to breeze past 25-0 hopeful Alejandro Ortiz in October, the home favorite expects another straightforward night's work against Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs). The savvy southpaw calls Miamil, Florida home now but a proud Albanian happy for an opportunity he's long called for.

Any mutual respect between them appears to have remained in Bangkok, Thailand at December's WBC convention where they were matched in a world title eliminator for Sebastian Fundora's strap he defends next month.

April's prospective winner will likely have another fight before the divisional landscape clears, given the ongoing situation regarding interim beltholder Vergil Ortiz's protracted negotiations on a potential Jaron Ennis bout.

The first press conference was testy: Samake mocking Hadribeaj's inability to speak French, with the visitor having described his upcoming foe as more of a model than a boxer. Not long until we find out just how good they are.