DESPITE coming off a devastating second-round stoppage defeat to Joseph Parker, Martin Bakole could find himself challenging for world honours before long, says Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom.
The Congolese wrecking machine was presented with his lucrative opportunity in February, displaying an enormous set of cojones after squaring off against Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs), on just two days’ notice.
Unsurprisingly, a lack of preparation did the 33-year-old no favours, as no sooner had he accepted the fight than the typically destructive puncher found himself lying flat on his back.
Not only that, but Bakole’s upcoming outing with Efe Ajagba – scheduled as an IBF final eliminator before his defeat to Parker – will no longer have a world title upshot attached to it.
Yet still, the pair are nonetheless gearing up for their intriguing matchup this Saturday, featuring on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ajagba, 20-1 (14 KOs), comes off a split decision victory over Guido Vianello but has, in truth, failed to set the world alight following his defeat to Frank Sanchez in 2021.
As it happens, a final eliminator between Sanchez and Filip Hrgovic has since been ordered by the IBF, while Derek Chisora remains the mandatory challenger for Daniel Dubois’ red and gold strap.
But regardless of Bakole, 21-2 (16 KOs), losing his opportunity with the IBF, his promoter, Shalom, has seemingly put a plan in place.
Should he get past Ajagba, the heavy-hitter could face either Kubrat Pulev, who now finds himself on the wrong side of 40, or Michael Hunter, a more dynamic operator who halted Bakole back in 2018.
“[Bakole] got offered a huge money fight against Joseph Parker, and we knew the ramifications of taking that fight,” Shalom told Boxing News.
“We still made sure that the Ajagba fight was on the same date, and that’s all we could do.
“Ultimately, he’ll need a couple of wins before he gets himself back into that position with the IBF, but [I believe] he’ll be fighting for a world title very soon.
“The key is activity – he’s got a massive profile now and is one of the biggest names in the division.
“We were looking at as early as July [for his fight after Ajagba]. Luckily the heavyweight division’s been moving a lot recently, and Martin’s in a great spot.
“There’s massive fights out there – I’d love the Pulev fight for him. The Michael Hunter rematch could also be a big fight. That is really the only legitimate loss on his record.”
