Within a couple of hours after rumors surfaced that Daniel Dubois had suffered a viral infection and therefore would not be able to defend his IBF heavyweight title, Joseph Parker had a new opponent named.
His opponent this coming Saturday will be Martin Bakole, a Congolese heavyweight currently residing in Scotland, who agreed to step up to fight Parker just 48 hours before the scheduled date.
"Joseph Parker will face Martin Bakole after Daniel Dubois withdrew from the fight due to illness," The Ring magazine announced on its social media account this evening.
Bakole has been clamoring for his opportunity for some time now, and while the timing may not have been right, he didn't seem to hesitate when it was offered to him. In fact, his trainer Billy Nelson took to social media shortly after news of Dubois' illness broke to write the following: "We have instructed our promoter to let the appropriate people know that Martin Bakole is ready to fly to Saudi Arabia to fight Joseph Parker. No problem."
