Martin Bakole thinks Tyson Fury will beat Oleksandr Usyk in their December rematch if Fury stays focused. Bakole, who's sparred with both fighters, shared his thoughts based on his ring experiences with them.
Bakole, ranked No 1 by the WBA, has only one loss to Michael Hunter in his career. He recently stopped Jared Anderson in Los Angeles, boosting his status in the heavyweight division.
The Congolese boxer said Fury left the biggest impression on him during sparring sessions.
"The only person I'm impressed with is Tyson Fury. He's a big guy, he moves a lot. He moves his head."
Bakole's sparring experiences with Fury and Usyk were quite different. With Fury, they used a big ring, which made for a relaxed session. But with Usyk, they sparred in a small ring, creating a more intense atmosphere.
"Usyk I sparred in a small ring so I always gave him a hard time. Oh, if you could see his face when he sparred me, it's focused. Because I gave him a hard time, under pressure all the time. Tyson Fury, we sparred in a big ring, relaxed, very good sparring to watch."
Bakole claimed he stopped Usyk with a body shot during sparring. But Team Usyk quickly denied this claim.
When Usyk beat Fury in May, Bakole was surprised. He told Sky Sports:
"I was surprised [when Usyk beat Fury]. I was not only surprised by Usyk, I was surprised by Tyson Fury's performance. He was playing. He was supposed to be focused like he was in the Deontay Wilder rematch. If he takes that mentality in the rematch I think he will stop Usyk like he did with Deontay. Because the Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury rematch, we saw a different Tyson Fury, focused, coming to win."
Bakole thinks Fury wasn't serious enough in the first fight. He pointed out moments that showed Fury's lack of focus:
"Putting his hands behind his back, not moving, that is showing that you're not focused. One round changed everything. One left hook changed everything. I want him to be 100 per cent focused, not playing around. [Usyk] is coming 100 per cent focused to win the fight. So you need to be the same."
If Fury brings the same focus he had in his rematch with Wilder, Bakole believes he'll knock Usyk out this time.
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The heavyweight title rematch between Fury and Usyk is set for December. Bakole, eyeing his own career progress, hopes for a shot at the winner. He's also keen on a rematch with Michael Hunter, the only man to beat him so far.