Martin Bakole Replaces Daniel Dubois as Opponent for Joseph Parker Saturday

Boxing is living up to its description as the theater of the unexpected in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ask Martin Bakole.

A second fight has fallen ill and is now being replaced. IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois of England (22-2, 21 KOs) was reported to be sick on Thursday. His opponent, former WBO champion Joseph Parker of New Zealand (35-3, 23 KOs), and manager Spencer Brown were still unsure who the replacement might be at the final news conference on Thursday.

That replacement turns out to be Martin Bakole of the Congo (21-1, 17 KOs). Bakole, now a resident of Scotland, had just started his training camp for a scheduled fight against Efe Ajagba on May 2 on the undercard of the proposed Ryan Garcia event in New York.

Parker Is “One Of Those Fighters”

Once Parker and his team learned about the situation, they made it clear he would accept any replacement opponent. ITV caught Parker and Brown and confirmed the news.

At the Thursday news conference, manager Spencer Brown said discussions were underway. “Whatever it’s going to be, Joe’s there. There will be a fight Saturday. Whoever’s there, Joe’s ready to fight, he’s ready to go, he’s ready to win. That’s it! Whoever we’re going to fight Saturday, Joe’s up for it. He doesn’t care. He’s one of those fighters.”

Martin Bakole’s Team Makes Its Pitch

Bakole’s trainer, Billy Nelson, began making the case for Bakole to step in on social media.

So did Bakole’s promoter, Ben Shalom of Boxxer. Shalom is in Riyadh in support of light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi. In an interview with Sky Sports, Shalom said they’d accept a fight offer for Bakole.

“It’s the best option for Joseph Parker regarding a 50-50 fight. Martin will do it on two days’ notice. He doesn’t duck anyone. He wants everyone. Now it’s over to Joseph Parker whether he will take on the challenge that is Martin Bakole, albeit on two days’ notice.”

Shalom said Bakole would be ready. “We believe Martin is the best heavyweight in the world. Even on two days’ notice. Whether it’s six weeks, seven weeks, eight weeks, we think he can beat anyone.

“The flags have been checked. Everything’s ready. The team’s ready to go. We checked with the manager, we checked with the trainer, we checked with Martin. We’re all ready to go. We’re willing to be reasonable as well. That’s how confident we’ll be about this fight.”

Bakole vs Parker Confirmed, Parker Says ‘Let’s Go!’

Less than an hour later, British broadcasters from ITV caught up with Parker and Brown and confirmed the fight had been scheduled.

Parker’s eyes widened, and his immediate reaction was, “Ooooo, let’s go!” Brown confirmed he told promoter Saudi General Entertainment Authority representative Turki Alalshikh he would be agreeable to anyone. “I mentioned Joe never turns anybody down. All comers are welcome.”

Parker confirmed Brown’s account. “Myself, Andy, Spence, and I sat down and had a discussion with Turki, and we just had a quick talk, and we welcomed anyone. And now we’ve got Martin Bakole, which is great.”

Bakole Earns the Opportunity With Anderson KO

Bakole, age 33, raised his visibility and his stature in his last bout on the August Riyadh Season card in Los Angeles. He delivered nothing less than a beatdown of promising American heavyweight Jared Anderson of Toledo (18-1, 15 KOs). Bakole scored three knockdowns before referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight in the fifth round.

His resume includes wins over Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka, Carlos Takam, and Sergey Kuzmin. But Bakole, now ranked in the top ten by all sanctioning bodies, ESPN and Ring Magazine, has been waiting to step up against the division’s elite. Now he’s got the chance.

After his victory in August, Bakole said, “I want to be a world number one. No one wants to fight me, but with His Excellency (Turki Alalshiehk of the Saudi General Authority), I can get any fight I want,” said Bakole.

In a recent ringside interview, Bakole looked forward to taking on the Dubois vs. Parker matchup winner. But now he’s the one in this fight.

“Now I’m living in the UK. I’m ready to face anyone, anywhere. I don’t care where, I’m coming to beat you.”

IBF Heavyweight Title No Longer In Play

“Martin Bakole! He’s a beast of a fighter, and I’m looking forward to challenging myself against Martin Bakole,” said Parker. “He’s being avoided, and let’s get it on. Things happen in life. It’s not just boxing. It’s in life. You’ve got to adapt. You’ve got to adjust. And you’ve got to go forward no matter what. So, I want to go forward.”

Parker wished Dubois well in recovering from his illness. Asked whether he was disappointed not to be fighting for the IBF World Heavyweight title, Parker shrugged it off

“Listen, it’s all part of boxing. It’s all part of the journey. But I guess one opportunity goes away, and another one comes. And we’re fighting Martin Bakole, who’s been waiting for a big fight. So, let’s get it on. And hopefully we can revisit this fight down the line. I want to be champion of the world.”

“I’ll have my chance again at some point, but now my focus is on Martin Bakole. He’s a beast.”

Dubois arrived in Riyadh fully confident after his spectacular win over Anthony Joshua. “I’m flying. I feel really confident, ready to go. The talking is done. It’s time to go to work.”

Dubois’s withdrawal due to illness follows a similar late withdrawal by undefeated American Floyd Schofield of Toledo, who had been scheduled to face Shakur Stevenson of Newark (22-0, 10 KOs). Stevenson will now face Josh Padley of Yorkshire, England (15-0, 4 KOs). Padley scored an upset win over one of Alalshikh’s self-declared favorite fighters, Mark Chamberlain, on the Dubois vs. Joshua undercard on September 21.

Oddsmakers show Parker as the favorite (-160) and Bakole a slight underdog (+130) in a close call. A draw is 16 to 1 odds. Bakole’s odds of a knockout are +250 with the over/under as four rounds; Parker’s odds of a knockout are -110 with the over/under as seven rounds.