Jared Anderson Ready To Beat Martin Bakole By Any Method: ‘I Need To Keep Winning’
Jared Anderson says he’s ready to put on a “great performance” against Martin Bakole on Saturday but insists he’s happy to win ugly if it means securing the victory.
Anderson (17-0-0 15 KO) faces fellow heavyweight contender Bakole (20-1-0 15 KO) at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles as part of the massive Riyadh Season card headlined by Terence Crawford’s bid to become a four-weight world champion against WBA super-welterweight titlist Israil Madrimov.
Anderson is now the leading light for American heavyweight boxing, following the recent demise of former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder, and he faces a pivotal fight against Congo’s Bakole. Win and he will continue to press his claims for a world title shot in the not-too-distant future; lose and he faces a setback in his ambitions for belts.
A victory could also provide the additional, and lucrative, bonus of securing a place on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury in Riyadh on December 21.
The ‘Real Big Baby’ was hand-selected by Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, whose Riyadh Season will make its international debut in L.A. this weekend having already hosted the biggest heavyweight shows in Saudi over the past few years.
Anderson ‘Needs To Keep Winning’
“It means a lot to me. It means that Turki Alalshikh himself has a lot of faith in me. They are backing me a lot and believe in my skill set,” Anderson said. “I’m ready to prove them right and put on a great performance. I need to keep doing what I need to do and stay focused.”
Anderson enters the bout following a near shut-out points win over Ryad Merhy in April – one judge gave Merhy one round in their 10-round bout – having been charged with a third-degree felony related to a high-speed car chase with law enforcement.
With his legal problems now in the past, the 24-year-old from Toledo, Ohio is focused only on the fight game, and he admitted victory at any cost is the primary aim against Bakole.
“I got hit with very few shots [against Merhy], and that’s the goal for this fight,” said Anderson. “To stay true to what I need to do to win and what’s going to work. Even if the knockout doesn’t come or it’s not the prettiest fight, I need to keep winning.”
Anderson is the marginal favorite according to the bookmakers, but he believes his better movement will make a big difference against the more static, albeit powerful, Bakole.
‘Big Fish’ Bakole Confident Of Victory
“We know that he’s not the fastest fighter,” said Anderson. “He’s going to be the bigger man as far as weight – but bigger guys tend to gas out faster. He says he’s going to knock me out and I can’t wait to watch him try to prove it. My hand will be raised by the end of the night.”
Bakole, meanwhile, has commended Anderson for taking this fight, believing his American opponent has taken a big risk by making a big step up in level compared to his previous bouts.
Anderson is viewed as the future of the heavyweight division, with Fury himself proclaiming him to be a future world champion. However, Bakole represents by far the biggest test of his career; the Congolese fighter is on a nine-fight win streak, including a destructive fourth-round knockout of veteran Carlos Takam in his most recent outing in October 2023.
“I can’t believe it because when I take a look at some records, I saw that he never fight someone like my level,” Bakole, 32, told BoxingScene. “Never fight someone like me. So, he’s a man. He takes chances. Even me, I will take risks like him. I always call out all these top guys. I want to prove everyone wrong. He say ‘Yes’ to fight me; that’s a big test for him.
“Very good luck to him. That’s all I can say – good luck. He’s a boxer; he’s got skills. That’s all I know. I don’t watch his fights. I only saw the small video that he is knocking people out, but if I check the ranking, I saw the people he is knocking out – he is still building up his career. But I’m a big fish, I’m a big man – big tough guy – so I don’t think that will happen to me.”
