Martin Bakole has shared some eye-opening details about a sparring session with Anthony Joshua. The Congolese heavyweight claims he left Joshua on 'shaky legs' with a left hook during their training.
Joshua, now 35, is in the final chapter of a career that's seen him become a two-time world heavyweight champion. The Watford-born fighter held the unified WBA, WBO and IBF titles twice between 2016 and 2021. His last fight was a tough one - a 5th round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September when he was trying to become a three-time heavyweight champ.
Despite that setback, Joshua's not ready to hang up his gloves just yet. He's confirmed he'll keep fighting and is looking to get back in the ring soon. There's no shortage of potential opponents, with many fighters keen to face the British star.
One of those fighters is Martin Bakole. The 31-year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo is gearing up for an all-African showdown with Efe Ajagba in May. But he's also got his sights set on a possible clash with Joshua later in the year, potentially in Africa.
Bakole recently spilled the beans about a sparring session he had with Joshua. On the first day, Bakole says he gave Joshua a hard time. Things got more intense on day two when Joshua's coach asked for 6-8 rounds.
"The first round was nice," Bakole recalled. "Second round he tried to knock me out. I was like, 'what the hell?' I came here to help you and you give me hard time."
That's when Bakole decided to show Joshua what he could do.
"I catch him with a beautiful left hand," Bakole said. "He shook his head and legs. He was a bit hazy. Everyone was quiet in the gym."
Joshua recovered and they started sparring again, but Bakole says he stuck to using just his left hook after that.
In the wider heavyweight picture, Daniel Dubois currently holds the IBF title. He won it last June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated following his undisputed championship win over Tyson Fury in May.
As for Joshua, he's still a big name in the division. With fighters like Bakole eager to face him, it'll be interesting to see who he steps into the ring with next as he looks to end his career on a high note.
