Daniel Dubois, a top heavyweight boxer, faces claims from Martin Bakole about getting dominated in sparring sessions. These claims have stirred up interest in the boxing world.
Dubois, at 27, has had an impressive run lately. He's beaten Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua, all by stoppage. He's also grabbed and held onto the IBF world title. Now, he's getting ready to fight Joseph Parker in February.
But Bakole's got something to say about all this. In a chat with iFLV TV, he made some big claims about their sparring sessions.
"I broke his nose twice and stopped him. That's not a lie. He will never come say I'm lying," Bakole said. He added, "Joe Joyce the same, you see the video I posted. I feel bad to post some stuff like that because it can happen to me as well in sparring in the camp."
Bakole's not just talking. He recently stopped highly rated American Jared Anderson. And he's got a big fight coming up. He'll face Efe Ajagba in May in a fight that could lead to a shot at Dubois' IBF heavyweight world title.
Bakole's trainer, Billy Nelson, backs up these claims. He told Seconds Out:
"It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Daniel vacated rather than fight Martin as well. They've been in the ring with each other before. Martin will obliterate Daniel Dubois."
Nelson didn't stop there. He added more details about the sparring session:
"Martin wasn't fully fit when he sparred Daniel, about 70% fit, and schooled him. Stopped him, made him quit and broke his nose. It's fact. Martin's already told people what happened. I was there. Barry McGuigan was there. I'm not telling lies."
But Frank Warren, Dubois' promoter, isn't buying it. He's sure Dubois will prove these sparring stories wrong.
The heavyweight division is heating up. Oleksandr Usyk holds the unified champion title, with Dubois, Bakole, and Joseph Parker all vying for the top spot. If Dubois and Bakole end up fighting for the IBF heavyweight world title, we'll see if these sparring claims hold any water.
