Parker Ends Bakole In Two; What’s Next?
Joseph Parker knocked out his late replacement, Martin Bakole, in the second round to become the WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion.
Parker was initially meant to fight Daniel Dubois in an IBF Heavyweight Title clash. Dubois was making the second defense of his belt, giving Parker an opportunity to become a two-time world champion. Parker is the former WBO Heavyweight Champion, a title he lost to Anthony Joshua. But Dubois pulled out with an illness as Bakole was given the opportunity to shine. Bakole could have been a dangerous opponent, given his ability to stop fighters. He also came in over 300 pounds, making him significantly heavier than Parker. However, the lack of preparation time meant that Bakole was never in a position to assert his dominance.
Parker landed a solid right hand before Bakole countered with an uppercut in the first. But Parker simply ended the fight in round two. He landed a right hand that wobbled Bakole, who was staggering backwards. Although Bakole got to his feet, he was on unsteady legs as the referee waved off the fight. The victory means that Parker has secured three wins in a row against top-quality opposition, following his previous victories against Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Parker is now in a position to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the full WBO Belt.
Options
“I want to say, who is next? How do I fight for a world title next?. I want to fight for a world title. If [Oleksandr] Usyk wants a dance partner, we’ll get [Frank Warren] in here. I want to fight for a world title, and I’d love to be champion of the world again,” Parker said
Usyk has already said that he wants to fight Dubois next. This would be for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title. Parker is likely to have another fight, with the winner potentially getting the winner of Usyk vs. Dubois. This raises question marks over where Parker goes next. Parker could take on Agit Kabayel. He secured an impressive sixth-round victory against Zhang. He got off the canvas to stop the Chinese in impressive fashion with body shots. Kabayel is also considered one of the leading contenders in the heavyweight division, with a 26-0 record.
There is also the opportunity to fight against Joe Joyce. Joyce will face Dillian Whyte in his next fight. Joyce knocked out Parker in the 11th round. But since then, Joyce’s form has been poor. He has only secured one win in his last four fights, following two losses to Zhang and one to Derek Chisora. His only victory during that period was against Kash Ali.
Alternatively, if Whyte comes through, there is also the opportunity to take that fight. Parker could also stay on the sidelines and simply wait for his title shot. But he risks remaining inactive, especially since the Zhang win was almost a year ago. Meanwhile, he has only had two rounds against Bakole, who was not fit. That leaves Parker with plenty to ponder.
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