Daniel Dubois, the IBF Heavyweight World Champion, has responded to Martin Bakole's claims about their sparring sessions. Dubois, now at the top of his game, says there's more to the story than what Bakole has shared.
At 28, Dubois has silenced his critics and reached the pinnacle of his career. He's coming off a string of impressive victories, including a career-best win against Anthony Joshua, stopping him in the fifth round. He's also handed first career defeats to both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
These wins have put to rest any lingering doubts about Dubois' heart and determination. He's bounced back from earlier setbacks and now stands as a world champion.
Recently, Martin Bakole made some bold claims about their past sparring sessions. He said he stopped Dubois, broke his nose, and made him quit. Bakole seems certain he has Dubois' number.
But Dubois has a different take on those sparring sessions. In an interview with Ring Magazine, he shared his side of the story:
"They've got to remember what really happened in sparring. I know they love to talk about sparring, but I remember him jumping out the ring when I was sparring him. Yeah, he jumped out the ring many times. We sent him back to Scotland many times. In due time, we'll see about that."
Dubois isn't letting these claims distract him from his upcoming title defense against Joseph Parker later this month. Meanwhile, Bakole is set to face Efe Ajagba in May. Their fight will decide who becomes the mandatory challenger for the IBF Heavyweight title.
If Dubois keeps his title and Bakole wins his eliminator, we might see these two settle their differences in the ring for real. That potential matchup would be for the IBF Heavyweight World Championship, giving both fighters a chance to back up their claims.
For now, it's a case of he-said, he-said. But in boxing, talk is cheap. The truth often comes out in the ring, and fans will be eager to see if these two get a chance to prove themselves against each other in an official bout.
