Martin Bakole has made a big splash in the heavyweight division with a knockout win over Jared Anderson. It's just what he needed to get people talking about him as a serious contender.
Bakole has had some good wins against Carlos Takam and Tony Yoka in the past, but he lost to Michael Hunter. He's been known more for sparring stories where he supposedly dropped or stopped top fighters. But he hasn't been active enough in big fights for fans to see what he can really do.
That all changed when he faced Jared Anderson. Anderson, just 24 years old, was seen as America's next big heavyweight star. Bakole let Anderson's punches bounce off him. He knocked Anderson down in the first round. Then he put him down two more times in the fifth and finished the fight.
After the win, Bakole talked to BOXXER about how he'd do against other top heavyweights. He said he'd knock out Anthony Joshua in four or five rounds. He thinks he can beat Tyson Fury on points or maybe stop him late. Fury's the only one Bakole isn't sure he can knock out.
"Francis Ngannou? I'll knock him out cold, early. This isn't MMA. Daniel Dubois? I'll knock him out again. Joe Joyce? Knockout again - he lost twice by knockout, he's soft already. Joseph Parker? I'll knock him out. That's my best friend but this is boxing business. Deontay Wilder? I'll smash him. Small legs, small body, knock him out."
Bakole has said before that he stopped Oleksandr Usyk in sparring. He's also said he'll stop Zhilei Zhang if they fight. The only man Bakole feels has a real chance to go the distance with him is Fury. He's said sparring with Fury is the only time he's felt evenly matched in the gym.
Usyk just beat Fury to become undisputed champion. They'll fight again on December 21 when Fury tries to get his belts back. As for Bakole, he doesn't have a fight set yet. But fans want to see him against Zhang, and promoter Turki Alalshikh has shown real interest in making that happen.