LAWRENCE OKOLIE set up a revenge clash with fearsome Cuban Erislandy Savon after opening his Rio Olympics campaign with a points win over Poland's Igor Jakubowski in the men's heavyweight division on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Londoner will face Savon on Monday night, just two months after being floored three times and stopped in the first round of their fight in the World Series of Boxing final in Tashkent.
Okolie, who only took up boxing four years ago after watching Anthony Joshua clinch gold in 2012, knows he will have to draw on every inch of his limited experience if he is to come out on top against Savon, the nephew of three-times Olympic champion Felix Savon.
Coincidentally, Joshua's gold medal success in London began with a controversial first-round win over Savon, who has since moved down to heavyweight and won a world silver medal in Qatar last year.
Okolie said: "I've been told that the first fight is the hardest one because of the nerves, so it's all about getting into the rhythm and going on from there.
"In the two months since that last fight, we worked on a few things and if I show those things there's no reason why I shouldn't come out on top."
Welshman Joe Cordina survived a gruelling lightweight opener against Charly Suarez of the Philippines, producing a strong final round to wrap up a split decision win.
Cordina, the reigning European champion, looked tense and stiff in the early stages and faced some punishment from his opponent, but his class told in the end.
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Cordina said: "I've got confidence in myself because I'm European champion. I always believed I was going to win this fight, and the next one, and go on to push for the gold medal.
"When I relaxed everything came together. The second was a shaky round but I made him miss a lot in the last and I was not worried about the result."
Birmingham light-flyweight Galal Yafai made it three wins out of three for the British boxing team on the opening day of competition as he scored a unanimous points win over Simplice Fotsala of Cameroon.
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