It wasn’t the opponent Joseph Parker was planning to face two days ago, but it was still a good night for one of the heavyweight division’s top contenders.
The New Zealander defeated short-notice opponent Martin Bakole with a second-round TKO to defend his WBO interim heavyweight title in the co-main event of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 card in Riyadh.
The fight ended in slow motion. Parker looked strong in the first round, then landed a shot to the top of Bakole’s head that staggered the Congolese fighter, then knocked him down. Bakole’s corner threw in the towel rather than let him reenter the fight.
With Oleksandr Usyk in the building, Parker called for a heavyweight title shot after the fight.
“Who’s next? How about I fight for the world title next?” he said. “If Usyk wants a dance partner, I’ll get Uncle Frank to come in here and lock in a fight with Usyk. I want to fight for a world title. I’d like to be champion of the world again soon.”
The co-main event was initially announced as Parker against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, but that plan went out the window Thursday when Dubois was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed medical issue.
The turn of events would have been a devastating blow for what was supposed to be the “greatest boxing card of all time,” had they not had a capable backup in Bakole. Considered by many to be the boogeyman of the heavyweight division, Bakole was the fighter no contender wanted to face due to a punching power that could end a fight in a second, but Parker agreed to face him.
Bakole entered the fight under obvious constraints. He didn’t arrive in Riyadh until Friday and weighed in unofficially at 315 pounds, 30 pounds heavier than his weight in his previous match against Jared Anderson. He was carrying a visible amount of extra weight and in the wrong phase of his training, but he still delivered intrigue to a reeling card that also lost Floyd Schofield in the previous fight against Shakur Stevenson.
Judging from the stoppage, Bakole’s corner didn’t want him to risk much. That’s understandable, and the loss shouldn’t hurt Bakole too much given the circumstances. As for Parker, he clearly has plenty of options in front of him after six straight wins, including ones over Bakole, Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Check out full results, highlights and Uncrowned’s round-by-round coverage for Saturday’s stacked Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 fight card here.
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