Joseph Parker proved that he is willing to fight anyone with his reaction to the announcement of his upcoming opponent.
The New Zealander was preparing to face Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia on Saturday but the Brit pulled out just two days before the event. Organisers put their heads together with Parker’s team and made quick work of calling up Martin Bakole – one of the most-feared heavyweights in the division.
But Parker’s reaction made it clear that he will never back down from a challenge, as he met the announcement with excitement rather than apprehension.
On a frantic Thursday in Riyadh, the 33-year-old seemingly found out about who he would be fighting during an interview with iFL TV. And when the name Bakole was put to Parker, his eyes widened as he beamed: “Oooh let’s go!”
On whether he was disappointed about the Dubois fight falling through, Parker continued: “It’s all part of boxing and part of the journey. I guess one opportunity goes away and another one comes.”
His scrap with Dubois would have been for the IBF heavyweight title, but Parker will now be forced to wait for another chance to become a two-time champion of the world. And Bakole is a gutsy choice of replacement, given that a defeat could see him slip out of the title picture.
The Congolese competitor has not lost for over six years, with the only defeat on his 21-1 record coming against Michael Hunter in 2018. The only other fighter to have beaten Hunter is the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Since his loss to the American, 6ft 6in Bakole has beaten the likes of Mariusz Wach, Sergey Kuzmin, Tony Yoka and Carlos Takam. He was last in the ring in August, and it remains to be seen whether he has kept himself in fighting shape, given the last-minute nature of the call-up to face Parker.
“He has been waiting for a big fight,” Parker continued. “So let’s get it on. Hopefully we can revisit this [Dubois] fight down the line because I want to be champion of the world. Bakole is the most-avoided heavyweight but I love to challenge myself.
“My team sat down and had a discussion, a quick talk, and we welcomed anyone. Now we have got Martin Bakole, which is great. I will have my chance again at some point, but now my focus is on Martin Bakole. He is a beast, so let’s get ready.”
