Fans want to see Martin Bakole back in action following a huge performance on the biggest stage of his career so far.
The thumping heavyweight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a record of 21 wins from 22 fights with 16 early finishes, his sole defeat coming at the hands of Michael Hunter.
Since then, Bakole has been on a run of ten straight victories, including a decision win over Olympic Medalist Tony Yoka and a TKO of notoriously tough Carlos Takam. His most recent outing was in Los Angeles on Riyadh Season’s first promotional effort outside of Saudi Arabia, where he took on rising American star Jared Anderson.
Anderson’s punches bounced off Bakole, who scored a knockdown in the first and stalked the 24-year-old thereafter before a sore finish in the fifth. It was a performance that lends weight to Bakole’s various claims of hurting or stopping the best fighters in the division during sparring sessions.
Talk now turns to who’s next, with the man himself calling out the likes of Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker and Agit Kabayel.
It appears that there will be match-ups on Riyadh Season cards between all four, with Parker recently confirming on the the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois fight week broadcast that he has been given the same names plus Bakole.
“I was told there was there was a fight in September, then October, and now I’m told there was a fight in December. I’ve been training since April and I’ve put on about 20 pounds… of muscle, I hope. I’m ready to fight anyone, anywhere, seriously. I’m in great shape and I’m ready to go.
Zhang wants the rematch, he has that rematch clause. I’m not sure what everyone else wants. I think there’s talk of Agit Kabayel, [Martin] Bakole, there’s lots of names. I’d like it locked in so I know who I’m training for.”
Parker bested Zhang over 12 rounds back in March and ‘Big Bang’ has been clear he wants the rematch next. For most fans, and Turki Alalshikh, the Bakole-Zhang fight is top priority. Should that come off it may mean Parker naturally matches up with the also in-form Kabayel.
