Martin Bakole: Who is the late replacement for Daniel Dubois to fight Joseph Parker?
Fight week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was shaken up again on Thursday with the announcement that Daniel Dubois was deemed too ill to face Joseph Parker in their world heavyweight title fight.
With promoters scrambling to find a suitable replacement, Martin Bakole answered the call.
Bakole’s promoter Ben Shalom said he was doing the deal as Thursday’s pre-fight news conference was taking place. By late Thursday night, the fight was confirmed.
Here’s everything you need to know about the man who will face Parker on Saturday night.
Who is Martin Bakole?
Martin Bakole is a Congolese heavyweight who trains out of Glasgow, Scotland with respected coach Billy Nelson. The 33-year-old was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when the call came in.
Shalom told ESPN the fighter “didn’t hesitate 1%” and arrangements were made to get him to Riyadh.
An imposing fighter with huge knockout power, Bakole is considered one of the most avoided fighters in the heavyweight division.
What is Bakole’s record?
Bakole has a strong record of 21 wins with 16 by way of knockout and just one defeat.
He has risen up the rankings with wins over Carlos Takam and, most recently, a savage knockout of American Jared Anderson.
What are Bakole’s chances against Joseph Parker?
First off, both fighters deserve a huge amount of credit for taking the fight.
Nobody could have blamed Parker, who was no doubt dreaming of becoming a two-time heavyweight champion on Saturday, for wanting to ensure he remains fit and healthy to face Dubois whenever he is ready.
However, the New Zealander made it clear he would fight anyone.
Bakole possesses huge power, which he showed against Anderson. A key factor will be how fit and fight ready he is, especially coming off a more than 2,000 mile journey to get to Riyadh to face Parker on two days’ notice.
While Bakole will be a formidable opponent, Parker will be favourite. He will likely be much fitter than Bakole and must use this to his advantage by boxing smart and avoiding his new opponent’s power.
Source: espn.com