Martin Bakole thinks he's got what it takes to beat Oleksandr Usyk. The heavyweight contender has made a bold claim after his recent win against Jared Anderson.
Usyk's got quite the resume. He's an Olympic gold medalist and has been the undisputed champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. He did all that in just six years. The Ukrainian boxer has beaten Anthony Joshua twice and even got the better of Tyson Fury. He's never been knocked down in his pro career, except for that controversial low blow from Daniel Dubois. Many see him as the best of his generation and the current king of pound-for-pound rankings.
But Bakole's not intimidated. He reckons he can knock Usyk out easily. Why? Well, he's sparred with him before, and he knows a thing or two about fighting southpaws. Bakole told Pro Boxing Fans:
"Yes [I believe I'm the only man who can do it.] I will beat him easy, I will knock him out. I'm saying this not only because I spar him but I know how to stop southpaws. I learnt all my life, boxing my bother who's southpaw, how to stop southpaws. All his movement, all that, I will stop that, I will knock him out."
Bakole's brother is Ilunga Makabu, who held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2020 to 2023. Makabu's southpaw style has given Bakole plenty of practice.
People often say Bakole's the most avoided man in the heavyweight division. He's got a few options on his plate now. He could get a world title shot against the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker. He's also got a fight lined up with Efe Ajagba in May. If he wins those, he might just get his shot at Usyk and the undisputed titles.
It's a big claim from Bakole. Usyk's never lost as a pro. But in boxing, you never know what might happen when two fighters step into the ring.
