MARTIN BAKOLE: THE “WHO NEEDS HIM?” CLUB
Bakole's goals: Win a world title, defend it in Africa.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY At the time of writing, Bakole was rated No. 6 by The Ring at heavyweight. During our one-on-one discussion, the hard-hitting contender offered his thoughts on his Ring-rated contemporaries and gave them a score out of 10.
51st anniversary, but it would still be huge. And they’ve got a new stadium in Kinshasa (reconstruction recently finished on the Pentecost Martyrs Stadium).” Just before my interview with Bakole concluded, he became very emotional when further discussing the decades-long conflict between his country and neighboring Rwanda. The latest offensive began in March 2022, with approximately two million people displaced and hundreds killed. “Imagine you see them killing your brother, your mum, your dad. I went there and I see all that suffering. That makes me crazy, especially when I’m in the ring,” Bakole said as his head dropped. “I have my flag and all of that comes into my head. Millions of people have died already [since the 1990s], and they’re innocent. They
#9 Fabio Wardley
“I don’t know anything about him. He took my place [at No. 1 in the WBA ratings], I think because he fought twice in a year. I’m surprised that someone who was not even in the top 10 goes straight to number one. Maybe it’s because I’ve gone to the IBF, but I don’t know. He did well against Frazer [Clarke], but is not at the level.” Score: 1/10 #10 Efe Ajagba “He’s got power, but that power is like a jab to me. I’m the best, and this is my time. He has no chance. He knows how to box, but it’s so hard to handle me. I’m a machine. This is a big fight for me. If I knock him out or win on points, then I can focus on either Daniel Dubois or Joseph Parker. I’m asking His Excellency to do this in Africa because he’s never held an event like this in Africa.” Score: 1/10
The Ring Champion: Oleksandr Usyk “He’s the best right
#2 Daniel Dubois
#4 Zhilei Zhang “‘Big Bang’ (laughs) … He doesn’t throw enough punches, but he’s tough and he’s got a beautiful backhand. If you take that away, look at what happened when he fought Parker. If you stay away from that backhand or block it, he’s finished.” Score: 5/10
#7 Anthony Joshua “He looks good, but boxing isn’t just about looking good. It’s not just about muscles; it’s about your brain and everything. I think with the loss to Andy Ruiz, he lost some confidence. Everyone knows his weakness.” Score: 2/10
“He’s going up the way. He’s got a little bit older. When you’re young, you may think you can’t do it. He’s mature now and he’s found someone in the corner that can tell him what to do (Don Charles).” Score: 7/10
now; he’s the king. He’s clever and he’s a tough guy, but his movement makes him special. He’s got beautiful movement. But when you can stop that movement, you’ll beat him. I know how to stop him!” Score: 9/10
“I was surprised that he said he wanted to fight me in Africa,” Bakole told The Ring. “My president (Felix Tshisekedi) and His Excellency (Turki Alalshikh) could maybe do that fight. My president called me and said he was looking forward to that and asked how much money [Joshua] would want. They sent someone to AJ’s team and he asked for crazy money, but Africa is not like Saudi Arabia. They don’t have lots of money. “My country is at war, and the government is putting a lot of money into stopping Rwanda from killing innocent people. Imagine AJ asking for a hundred million. My president was looking forward to organizing that fight because, like me, he loves boxing. AJ asked for crazy money, and I understand, because he doesn’t want the fight. I also responded [on social media]
because he said Ajagba would beat me. He should stay quiet when he’s asked that question. He’s talking shit.” Both Bakole and Nelson are understandably frustrated. Politics in boxing was there long before they began their journey, and it will be there long after it’s concluded. However, the pair’s ambition and dedication remain intact, and they are fully invested in being ready when the time comes. “When we win the world title – not if we win it – and Martin has a title defense in Kinshasa, you’ll have over 100,000 people there,” Nelson estimated. “Four hundred thousand-plus welcomed him back from the Anderson fight. It was quite scary. “Last October was the 50th anniversary of ‘The Rumble in the Jungle,’ and it’s a shame that we missed that. If they do it next year, OK, it’s the
know nothing about it – that’s politics.” Like Oleksandr Usyk, whose beloved Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces, Bakole is motivated by more than just world championships and money. When Usyk was in trouble against Tyson Fury in their first fight, we saw him reach down deep inside himself and draw on something more powerful than stamina and endurance. He was galvanized by his position as a beacon of hope for his people. The tears that welled up in Bakole’s eyes when he talked about the plight of his countrymen speak of someone familiar with very dark places and the willingness to fight his way out of them in the ring. If he keeps on winning in style, then the division elite will no longer be able to ignore what many perceive to be the most avoided heavyweight in world boxing.
#3 Joseph Parker “He’s done well, beating [Deontay] Wilder and [Zhilei] Zhang. Parker lost confidence after losing to Joshua, [Joe] Joyce and [Dillian] Whyte. Andy Lee is a good trainer, and now Parker looks better than ever.” Score: 8/10
#5 Agit Kabayel “He hasn’t fought at the level he’s supposed to fight. Arslanbek [Makhmudov] was still coming through. The big fight will be against Zhang. If he stops Zhang, then I’ll rate him higher.” Score: 4/10
#8 Filip Hrgovic “Hrgovic? He’s finished. Well, maybe not finished, but he’s not in the rankings. Maybe he can come back, but he’s easy to hit. He needs to protect himself.” Score: 1/10
#1 Tyson Fury
“He’s maybe in decline now. He’s lost twice [to Usyk]. I thought the last one was a draw, but it was a close fight and they probably just gave it to the champion.” Score: 6/10
52
53
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online