Joseph Parker made a huge statement when he knocked out Martin Bakole recently.
The fight capped off a whirlwind week for Parker in Riyadh in February, after he was initially set to challenge Daniel Dubois for his IBF heavyweight title.
With just a few days to go until fight night, Dubois pulled out of the bout due to illness, leading to a scramble to secure Parker a new opponent.
It was Bakole who stepped in on short notice, looking to build on the recent success that had seen him stop the likes of Jared Anderson and Carlos Takam.
Parker was able to make quick work of Bakole though, stopping the Congolese heavyweight – who had landed in Riyadh at 3AM on the morning of fight without a training camp behind him – inside two rounds to retain the WBO interim title and ensure he remains on course for a future world title shot.
Prior to the contest, Bakole was deemed as one of the biggest punchers in the division, with 16 of his 21 victories coming by way of knockout and countless sparring stories about stopping the top dogs behind closed doors.
While Parker may have only spent a few minutes inside the ring with Bakole, the New Zealander has now revealed just how hard his rival hits in an interview with NewsTalk ZB.
“I’ve had a lot of experience sparring him. He is one tough man. Even though I got him out of there in the second round, those punches he landed did hurt.”
Bakole returns to action on May 3, looking to bounce back from his second career loss with a statement performance against Efe Ajagba. Though the bout is no longer an IBF final eliminator, he should move up the rankings well with a win as he sets about regaining his ‘boogeyman’ status in the division.
Parker could now be set for a re-arranged clash with IBF champion Dubois, after the Brit revealed they have ‘unfinished business.’
