Martin Bakole ‘Puts Heavyweight Division On Notice’ – Could A Title Shot Be Next?
Martin Bakole delivered the performance of his career last Saturday to destroy the highly-rated Jared Anderson and boost his own claims for an imminent shot at a heavyweight title.
On a stacked card in Los Angeles comprising an all-time pound-for-pound great (Terence Crawford) and several reigning or former world champions (Israil Madrimov, Isaac Cruz, Andy Ruiz Jr), Bakole’s display stood out above all others.
The fight certainly wasn’t expected to go the way it did. Anderson is regarded as a future star of the heavyweight division, and Bakole was meant to provide the American a statement victory on his continued trajectory through the rankings. Instead, the Congolese fighter dominated from start to finish, dropping Anderson three times on his way to an emphatic fifth-round knockout.
Now it’s Bakole, not Anderson, looking up at the top of the division, and as the WBA’s mandatory challenger, he will undoubtedly push his case to get a shot at the champion, currently Oleksandr Usyk, in the near future.
Bakole ‘Can Become Heavyweight Champion’
After such a strong performance against a high-profile opponent on the biggest possible stage, Bakole has done his profile wonders; a fight against Usyk, or perhaps Tyson Fury should December’s rematch go his way, holds a lot more appeal than it did only a few days ago.
“That was a devastating performance from Martin Bakole. The whole heavyweight division is now on notice,” said Bakole’s promoter Ben Shalom. “There are a lot of big fights out there for him – the winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel.
“Martin has been patient. He’s been working hard, waiting for his opportunity, and now, it’s his time. He’s ready to mix it with the best in the world. I think Martin Bakole can beat anyone. He is going to cause everyone problems and he can become heavyweight champion of the world.”
Of course, the dream scenario for Bakole would be to fight the winner of the Usyk v Fury rematch. The Ukrainian and British fighters are still considered the kings of the division and their December 23 bout in Riyadh will be a re-run of their undisputed classic in May, which Usyk won on split decision.
Bakole Has Plenty Of Exciting Options
There is a strong possibility that a trilogy bout is ordered, especially if Fury is victorious, which for Bakole, would set back any world title shot to the end of 2025 at the earliest.
It’s important, then, that Bakole leverages his increased profile and rides the momentum from his win over Anderson to put himself in the best possible position when the opportunity eventually arises.
As Shalom pointed out, there are many exciting options for Bakole to stay relevant, and with Saudi Arabia’s love of heavyweight boxing, plenty of opportunities to fight regularly.
A showdown with Zhang would be a brutal spectacle between two big, powerful men, and the sort of fight that feels ideally suited for the undercard of Usyk v Fury II. Zhang, a relatively late bloomer who recently held the WBO’s interim title, has taken full advantage of the possibilities on offer in Saudi Arabia by earning big money and becoming a legitimate contender.
Usyk-Fury Undercard Has To Be The Target
Parker, similarly, is enjoying a late-career revival, reeling off five successive victories including over Deontay Wilder and most recently Zhang to take his WBO interim belt. His last three fights have all come in Saudi Arabia.
Kabayel is also in the Saudi-heavyweight inner circle and has delivered two excellent victories in his last two fights in Riyadh to surge into contention. The German stopped the fearsome Arslanbek Makhmudov in the fourth round in December (although Makhmudov broke his hand early) and followed that up with a seven-round domination of Frank Sanchez in May.
Then there’s Michael Hunter and the opportunity for Bakole to avenge his only professional defeat, or even the likes of Filip Hrgovic, Mike Perez, and Kubrat Pulev.
All would represent great opponents for Bakole, and a repeat of his performance against Anderson would give him an excellent chance to continue his run of wins. Whoever he fights next, Bakole needs to make sure he’s on the Usyk v Fury rematch undercard to put himself front and center.
