Martin Bakole is still set to fight Efe Ajagba in May despite his knockout defeat to Joseph Parker last month, says promoter Ben Shalom.
Bakole stepped up as a last-minute replacement to take on Parker on February 22 when IBF world champion Daniel Dubois was forced to withdraw from his title defence through illness.
The heavyweight contender had already been scheduled to fight Ajagba in a world title final eliminator, but answered the call and took two flights on a journey from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Riyadh, where he landed on the morning of the contest in view of upsetting the odds.
It was not to be, however, as Bakole suffered a second-round stoppage after tumbling under a blow to the top of his head, but he will now get his chance to make immediate amends of sorts.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
A new angle of Joseph Parker’s huge right-hand punch that secured a knockout victory against Bakole
Bakole is now poised to feature on the undercard of super-middleweight king Canelo Alvarez’s fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia on Saturday May 3.
“I think May 3, that will hopefully be announced in the next week or so,” BOXXER CEO Shalom told Sky Sports.
“Canelo in Riyadh. I think the time zone is better for us, huge card so just made sense.”
Bakole will arrive 21-2 after suffering the second defeat of his professional career, while Ajagba is 20-1 having been out of the ring since beating Guido Vianello via split decision last April.
“He’s been his usual self, upbeat and ready to go,” Shalom added. “The main thing for me was making sure he could be out quickly in a fight he could prepare for.
“I still believe he’s the most dangerous heavyweight on the planet, he now needs to prove that.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Parker’s spectacular knockout victory against Bakole
It remains to be seen whether the fight will still serve as a final eliminator, Bakole’s defeat to Parker having seemingly bumped him down the pecking order slightly.
Nonetheless, he knows another statement victory thrusts him back into contention.
“The fight is on, he is definitely fighting and it’s going to be Ajagba,” said Shalom.
“We’ll work out with the governing bodies how it’s going to work, he’s not dropped too far out with any of the governing bodies, he’s right there and I think people in boxing know what it was. I’m excited for him to have a full camp and show what he’s about.
“He’s one fight away from being back in the mix, but Ajagba is a tough fight and the pressure is on, he has to perform now, if he doesn’t perform against Ajagba and win then it’s a problem. It’s a massive fight in his career and he’ll know that.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Here’s why no one wanted to fight Bakole
While unsuccessful, Bakole was widely-praised for accepting the fight against Parker at just two days’ notice as he sought to boost his stock on what had been billed as the greatest card in boxing history.
The risk did not pay off, but Shalom is confident that, with a full window in which to properly prepare, Bakole can remind the world of why he poses such a threat to the top names in the heavyweight division.
“His manager and trainer instructed me to do everything I can to make the fight, and I can only, in that position, do my job,” said Shalom. “It was crazy, he knows that, it’s part of his character, he’s endeared himself to the fans.
“The biggest problem at the start of his career was how we get people to know who Martin Bakole is and now they know who he is.
“It was a massive news story, he got hit on the top of the head, it could have happened in any fight.
“He’s had his life-changing money, but hopefully we can prepare properly and he can start to get the fights he deserves to be in.”
Watch Natasha Jonas fight Lauren Price at the Royal Albert Hall live on Sky Sports on Friday March 7.
