Martin Bakole has sent a stern message to Anthony Joshua. The heavyweight boxer warned Joshua to "be careful" and declared his desire to fight him next.
Bakole's warning came after Joshua backed Efe Ajagba to beat him in a potential world title eliminator. Joshua's support for Ajagba didn't sit well with Bakole, who's been on a good run lately.
"'AJ' before he accepted the Daniel Dubois fight, I called him out. Himself, he came and said we could fight in Africa but now I'm disappointed he got knocked out twice by someone I knocked out in the gym."
Bakole didn't stop there. He continued to criticize Joshua's recent performance and boasted about his own abilities.
"Imagine if it was me, I would knock him out cold in the first round. Now he's talking b****shit. I'm taking it serious this fight. I was looking for 'AJ' and now he's saying Ajagba is going to beat me, I don't know, disgrace. Be careful. I want him next."
Joshua's recent run in the ring hasn't been smooth. He lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failed to regain them in a rematch the following year. His most recent fight ended in a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September.
While Joshua recovers from minor injuries, he might be waiting to see how the Usyk vs Fury fight plays out before making his next move. A rematch with Dubois doesn't seem to be on the cards for now.
Bakole, on the other hand, has been making waves in the heavyweight division. He recently stopped highly-rated American prospect Jared Anderson and also picked up a victory over Carlos Takam. His promoter has branded him "the most avoided fighter" in the division.
Bakole's comments have added fuel to the ongoing discussions about potential matchups in the heavyweight division. With both fighters at different stages in their careers, it remains to be seen if this war of words will lead to an actual fight in the ring.
