Bakole keen on Ajagba fight

Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole has indicated his intention to proceed with his scheduled International Boxing Federation title eliminator against Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba in May despite suffering a second-round knockout loss to Joseph Parker last weekend, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

In his first social media post since the defeat in Saudi Arabia, Bakole thanked his supporters while specifically mentioning the upcoming bout in America, writing, “See you all in America in May” – a clear reference to his planned fight with Ajagba.

The Scotland-based fighter had stepped in as a late replacement for ill IBF champion Daniel Dubois against Parker with just two days’ notice. This decision cast doubt over the status of his eliminator against Ajagba, which is scheduled for May in New York.

Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) also expressed gratitude to Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, posting, “Big thanks to you all for your support. And big thanks to his excellency @turkialalshik for the opportunity and well done to @joeboxerparker.”

The heavyweight’s willingness to proceed with the Ajagba bout comes after former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua backed him to bounce back from the Parker loss.

“Bakole believes in himself and he’s got every right to. He’s a serious fighter. That’s not the end, this is the heavyweight division,” Joshua told The Stomping Ground after witnessing the knockout in Riyadh.

Before accepting the Parker fight, Bakole had emerged as one of the division’s most feared contenders following his impressive fifth-round demolition of previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson in California last August.

The IBF had recently cancelled its scheduled purse bid hearing for the Ajagba-Bakole bout, allowing promoters BOXXER and Top Rank to negotiate terms privately for their respective fighters.

Ajagba, nicknamed ‘The Silent Roller’, has won his last five fights since suffering his lone professional defeat to Frank Sanchez in October 2021, and had been in a confident mood ahead of the proposed eliminator, recently taunting Bakole on Instagram with the message, “Coming to woop your as* the Naija way.”

With Bakole now apparently committed to the May showdown, boxing fans can look forward to what promises to be an explosive encounter between two of the heavyweight division’s most exciting power punchers.