Bakole declares to the boxing world that he has knocked out Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois: “Now no one dares to fight me”
Congolese heavyweight boxer Martin Bakole has built a reputation as a formidable sparring partner for top fighters such as Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Joe Joyce, Oleksandr Usyk, and Daniel Dubois. Bakole asserts that he has given all these heavyweight champions a tough time in the ring, even claiming to have knocked out Usyk and Dubois during sparring sessions.
While the boxing world typically adheres to the unwritten rule that sparring details remain confidential, Bakole has been vocal about his impressive performances behind closed doors. Despite enhancing his reputation through these stories, Bakole believes his gym exploits have made it difficult for him to secure major fights.
“I don’t lie, I don’t like to lie,” Bakole shared with talkSPORT.com. “If you watch BOXXER’s video, you’ll see the truth. I was live on Sky Sports, and Oleksandr Usyk’s manager praised me, saying, ‘This guy is going to be world champion tomorrow.’ He knows who I am because he was there when I gave Usyk a hard time. Usyk never even touched me; I smashed him and knocked him out with a body shot. They said Usyk would need a week to recover.”
Bakole is candid about his need to promote himself, particularly as an African fighter who struggles to sell tickets. He accepted sparring sessions with top heavyweights to increase his visibility. However, he claims this has backfired, with notable fighters now avoiding him due to his gym prowess.
“Ask anyone about me. Go ask Daniel Dubois, Joshua, Usyk, or Tyson Fury about me. They will keep quiet because they know I gave them a hard time. I stopped Daniel Dubois twice, stopped Joe Joyce, and hurt Joshua badly one day,” Bakole said.
Bakole, currently ranked No.1 by the WBA, is starting to gain bigger opportunities with the involvement of Saudi Arabia in the boxing scene. In October, he defeated Carlos Takam in four rounds on the undercard of the Fury vs Francis Ngannou event. He is now set to face Jared Anderson in the Riyadh Season’s first overseas event in Los Angeles on August 3.
However, this was not always the plan. Bakole revealed that initial discussions had him potentially fighting Joe Joyce in July, but Joyce chose to face Derek Chisora instead.
“Frank Warren asked if I was ready to fight Joe Joyce at the O2, and I said ‘Yes.’ But my coach later told me Joe Joyce declined,” Bakole explained. “I wasn’t surprised because Joyce knew I would stop him in the first round. In sparring, I took him eight rounds, but this time I was going for a knockout in the first round. He’s lucky he chose to fight Chisora instead. It’s not about disrespecting Chisora, but he is too old and just a name now.”
Bakole’s journey continues as he aims to secure the big fights and prove his mettle in the ring.
