MARTIN Bakole’s bold decision to face Joseph Parker on just two days’ notice has come at a cost, with the knockout defeat derailing his IBF title charge.
The 33-year-old was drafted in on short notice after IBF world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois withdrew from his showdown against Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs), due to illness.
But instead of losing out on his opportunity to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last Saturday, the New Zealander was given the option to take on fearsome contender Bakole, 21-2 (16 KOs).
After both parties agreed terms at the 11th hour, Bakole then caught two flights from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Middle East.
Unsurprisingly, his less than ideal preparation meant that, after just over five minutes of back-and-forth action, he was clipped on top of the head and forced to suffer an emphatic second-round stoppage defeat.
With Parker retaining his WBO interim strap, he has now firmly put himself in the driving seat to secure another world title shot.
Bakole, meanwhile, was supposed to face fellow African heavyweight Efe Ajagba in a final eliminator for Dubois’ red and gold belt on May 2.
But while their intriguing clash is seemingly set to go ahead, an IBF spokesperson has told boxing journalist Dan Rafael that it will no longer be for the mandatory position to face Dubois.
Rather, it would appear that the sanctioning body now looks to award the opportunity to a fighter further down its rankings.
Ajagba, of course, is still eligible to enter an IBF final eliminator, and while his matchup with Bakole is yet to be confirmed, he may in fact choose to face an alternative opponent instead.
