Martin Bakole put the entire heavyweight division on notice with a stupendously performance on the biggest stage of his career so far and it was just what he needed.
Before taking the fight with America’s next heavyweight hope, Jared Anderson, Bakole had solid wins over Carlos Takam and Tony Yoka but a loss to Michael Hunter and a lack of activity in front of big audiences. He probably only came to mind for his stories from sparring of dropping or stopping the best in the division.
Fans saw a glimpse of that monster against Anderson. Bakole let the 24-year-old’s shots bounce off him before scoring a knockdown in the first and then two more in the fifth to end it.
Bakole – now looking for his next challenge – listed the top contenders one by one and detailed how he would deal with them in the ring, or how he already has in sparring. Tyson Fury is the only man who came out with a little dignity, the Congolese born fighter admitting that one might just go the distance.
“Anthony Joshua – knockout, round four or five. Tyson Fury – on points, or round seven to nine knockout. Francis Ngannou – knock him out cold, early. This isn’t MMA. Daniel Dubois – knock him out again. This year I’m coming to knock them out. Stop them or punish them. Joe Joyce – sorry about him, he lost twice by knockout, but knockout again because he’s soft already. Joseph Parker – knock him out. That’s my best friend but this is boxing business. Deontay Wilder – smash him. Small legs, small body, knock him out.”
Given he has already claimed to have stopped Oleksandr Usyk – the man who recently beat Fury to become undisputed – in sparring and has vowed to stop Zhilei Zhang should their fight materialise, it’s safe to say ‘The Gypsy King’ is the only man Bakole feels has a chance at taking him the distance.
In fact, he has in the past said the sparring with the heavyweight from Morecambe is the only 50/50 work he’s had in the gym.
Whilst Fury returns to rematch Usyk on December 21 in a bid to get his championship status back, Bakole doesn’t have a date but Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh has expressed real interest in the Zhang bout. Fans have, too.
With Alalshikh heavily interested, it wouldn’t be long before Bakole lands a big one.
By Samuel Opoku Amoah.
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