On Saturday night, Lawrence Okolie was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to watch the mammoth ‘The Last Crescendo’ card.

For a couple of tense hours last Thursday evening, there was the very real chance that the former cruiserweight and bridgerweight world champion would be gloving up and fighting on the show.

Okolie, 21-1 (16 KOs), was in Dubai training for his upcoming fight with Richard Riakporhe when the news of Daniel Dubois’ late withdrawal from his IBF heavyweight title defence against Joseph Parker broke.

As event organisers scrambled to find a late, suitable replacement for the stricken Dubois and as fighters, managers and trainers around the globe began volunteering their services or the services of someone they knew, Okolie’s phone lit up.

He agreed to take the fight with Parker but it was Congolese heavyweight, Martin Bakole, who was eventually handed the opportunity.

Former WBO champion, Parker, would go on to drop and stop Bakole with a right hand that landed high on the head midway through the second round.

Given that Okolie was just a two hour flight away from Riyadh and that his trainer, Joe Gallagher, already had a fighter on the show - undefeated super featherweight Mohammed Alakel comfortably outpointed Engel Gomez - the two-weight world champion would have been the safe choice, organisationally at least.

Instead, Bakole was chosen and the 33 year-old broke away from a brief holiday at home in the Congo and embarked on an arduous journey, only arriving in Riyadh on the morning of the fight.

Okolie understands the business of boxing and wasn’t the least bit surprised that he wasn’t picked.

“I don’t think it was a weird choice,” he told Ring Magazine after watching Parker take Bakole out.

“Boxers say they want to go for the hardest challenge but in those situations you do go for the guy who has to fly from wherever he’s flying from in Africa, land on the day of the fight, not been training.

“They obviously know I’m training for a fight already and all my team’s here. Like I said, people behind the scenes know. As long as I do my business on April 5th, the future’s bright.”

Although he was agonisingly close to a massive payday, 32 year-old Okolie may well be better served by not having had his name called.

As confident as he already is of beating Parker, Okolie has only had one official fight at heavyweight - a single round demolition of Hussein Muhamed last December - and his chances of beating a fighter of the New Zealander’s calibre will be greatly improved by spending more time living, training and fighting as a heavyweight. The money will follow.

Purely by showing his willing and entering the sweepstakes last weekend, Okolie - who is ranked at number three by the WBC - ensured that his name will continue to be brought up in future conversations and an impressive showing against Riakporhe will push him into a major fight.

“I want any world level fighter,” he said. "Parker, yes. I believe I would have beaten him today so, for me, that’s a great fight and a great name but first I need to take care of my fight against Richard Riakporhe. After that, there’s no a heavyweight that they’re gonna put in front of me that I’ll say no to.”