Heavyweight Lawrence Okolie
Heavyweight Tony Yoka
Super Welterweight Bakary Samake
Super Welterweight Ermal Hadribeaj
Le Double
Queensberry continues its international expansion on Saturday, 25 April, bringing a landmark night of boxing to the French capital. Paris’ state-of-the-art Adidas Arena will stage ‘Le Double’, a co-promotion with Samake Promotion, headlined by the nation’s two biggest boxing stars.
Live worldwide on DAZN, a blockbuster heavyweight clash dubbed boxing’s own version of Le Crunch, as France faces England. Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka (15-3, 12 KOs) returns to his home city to face former world champion Lawrence Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs) in what promises to be an explosive collision.
The card also features undefeated Parisian super welterweight Bakary Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) takes the crucial next step towards a WBC world title shot, contesting a final eliminator against unbeaten, US-based Albanian Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs).
“I am thrilled to be extending our reach to the French capital,” said promoter Frank Warren. “As in Britain and Germany, the passion for boxing in France runs deep.
“In Tony Yoka and Bakary Samake, we have two major stars capable of reigniting the sport in an important and historic boxing territory.
“There was immense pressure on Tony when he turned professional following his Olympic success, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. While he performed in sold-out arenas, perhaps the expectations came too soon. Now training in London, he returns as a revitalised, confident fighter, and his homecoming clash with Lawrence Okolie will be a cracker.
“Bakary, meanwhile, is looking to trade up his WBC Silver title in a final eliminator against a tough and experienced opponent in Ermal Hadribeaj. Victory would see another French star firmly established and help secure a bright future for boxing in France.”
Yoka, 33, won Olympic gold in 2016 and turned professional the following year. After winning his first 11 bouts, he suffered three consecutive defeats but has since rebuilt his career while training in England and now enters the contest on a four-fight winning streak.
Okolie, also 33, is a two-weight world champion, having won
titles at cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Now campaigning at heavyweight, he currently holds the WBC Silver title and has fought three times at his third professional weight. His most recent defence came against Kevin Lerena at Wembley Stadium last July.
Samake, 22, from Seine-Saint-Denis, captured the WBC Silver super welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Wade Ryan in November 2024, before successfully defending the belt with an eighth-round knockout of Roarke Knapp.
Hadribeaj, 32 — known as The Albanian Sniper — lives in Miami Beach and has held the WBC International super welterweight
title since November 2022, making eight successful defences. In his most recent outing, fighting in his hometown of Tirana, the southpaw earned a unanimous decision victory.
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WINS
23
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LOSES
1
-
DRAW
0
-
KOs
17
LawrenceOkolie
"The Sauce"
Fighter ProfileThe British Olympian Lawrence Okolie currently holds the professional distinction of being a two-weight world champion, having captured world titles at both cruiserweight and bridgerweight. He is now closing in on a world title at a third weight and is ranked at No.1 by the WBC in the heavyweight rankings.
Okolie, 33, who goes up against 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka in Paris on April 25, won his WBO cruiserweight world title in March 2021 with a defeat of Krzysztof Glowacki and went on to make three successful defences. His WBC bridgerweight triumph came in May 2024 with a first round knockout of Lukasz Rozanski in Poland. Okolie is the holder of the WBC Silver title at heavyweight.
TonyYoka
"The Artist"
Fighter profileTony Yoka grabbed the attention of the boxing world when he defeated Britain’s Joe Joyce to become Olympic champion in Rio back in 2017. In the following year he turned professional to great fanfare in his homeland won his first 11 fights, including an EBU European title success over Joel Tambwe Djeko and notable wins over Alexander Dimitrenko, Dave Allen, Johann Duhaupas and Christian Hammer.
However, his career fortunes took a downward turn when he was on the wrong end of three successive defeats to Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy. A switch to the London training base of respected coach Don Charles has rejuvenated the 33-year-old and he is currently on a four-fight winning streak heading into his heavyweight showdown with Lawrence Okolie in Paris on April 25.
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WINS
15
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LOSES
3
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DRAW
0
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KOs
12
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WINS
19
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LOSES
0
-
DRAW
0
-
KOs
11
BakarySamake
Fighter ProfileBakary Samake, 22, from Seine-Saint-Denis, won the WBC Silver super welterweight title with an eighth round stoppage of Wade Ryan in November 2024 and he since defended successfully against Roarke Knapp, via eighth round KO. On April 25 in Paris, Samake will face Ermal Hadribeaj in a final eliminator for a shot at the WBC world title.
He turned professional at the age of 17 back in 2021, having won 25 of his 30 fights in the amateur ranks. A first major career test came in early 2024 when he went up against experienced countryman Ahmed El Mousaoui in Paris and emerged triumphant via a unanimous decision. A subsequent decision victory over Julio Alamos positioned Samake for his WBC title surge. Samake has previously collected the IBO Mediterranean and IBF Youth super welterweight titles.
ErmalHadribeaj
"The Albanian Sniper"
Ermal Hadribeaj, 32, and known as The Albanian Sniper, lives in Miami Beach and has held the WBC International super welterweight title since November 2022, secured with a decision victory over Daniel Buciuc, and has since made eight successful defences of the belt. Last time out in his original home of Tiranha, the southpaw defeated Placido Ramirez via unanimous decision.
The undefeated Hadribeaj previously won the WBC Mediterranean super welterweight title in 2021 with victory over Thodoris Ritzakis and the North American Boxing Federation title in 2022 via a defeat of Daniel Baiz, before making a single successful defence of the title. On April 25 in Paris, Hadribeaj will take on Bakary Samake in a final eliminator for a shot at the WBC world title.
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WINS
22
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LOSES
0
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DRAW
1
-
KOs
8
Full Undercard announcing soon
All scheduled bouts are subject to change
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