Zhilei Zhang, the towering Chinese southpaw, has fired back at Martin Bakole's repeated callouts. The heavyweight contender challenges Bakole to put his money where his mouth is and send a contract for their potential fight.
Zhang's career has taken off in recent years. He started his pro journey in 2014 after grabbing a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. For a while, he flew under the radar. But that changed after his close and controversial loss to Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
Since then, Zhang has made waves in the heavyweight division. He stopped Joe Joyce inside six rounds and then knocked him out in three rounds in their rematch. In March 2024, he lost on points to Joseph Parker but managed to drop him twice. Zhang's most impressive win came in June 2024 when he stopped Deontay Wilder in five rounds.
On the other side, Martin Bakole, the Congolese fighter who calls himself "the most avoided fighter on the planet," has been making noise too. He's picked up wins over Carlos Takam and made a statement by beating American prospect Jared Anderson.
Bakole has been calling Zhang out online, accusing him of ducking a fight. The IBF even ordered the two to face each other. But Zhang chose a different path, opting to fight Agit Kabayel for the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title on February 22.
In an interview with Boxing News, Zhang responded to Bakole's callouts:
"I am not against fighting Martin Bakole. Actually, I welcome that fight. But at the end of the day, all you do is go online and post videos and talk about it but we have to see the contract. This a serious business, it has to materialise, we need to see the contract."
While Zhang gets ready for his WBC Interim title fight with Kabayel, Bakole is set to face Efe Ajagbe for the IBF's mandatory position. The announcement for that fight should come soon.
Zhang sits well-placed near the top of the heavyweight division, while Bakole has earned a reputation as a dangerous opponent. With both fighters on the rise, fans will have to wait and see if these two heavyweights will settle their differences in the ring.
Zhang's fight against Kabayel for the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title is scheduled for February 22. The winner of that bout could be in line for even bigger opportunities in the heavyweight division.
