Joseph Parker at career-heaviest weight for Martin Bakole bout
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Joseph Parker weighed in at a career-heaviest 267 pounds on Friday while his new opponent Martin Bakole was still on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bakole was called up to replace IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, who is ill, on Thursday.
The 33-year-old (21-1, 16 KOs) was still travelling to Saudi Arabia from his home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – a journey of more than 2,000 miles – while Parker (35-3, 25 KOs) hit the scales.
Parker’s previous heaviest weight was 255 pounds against Joe Joyce in 2022, a fight he lost by knockout.
Despite the dramatic turn of events in the last 24 hours, Parker was relaxed after the weigh-in.
“I feel good. Going from one big puncher to the next big puncher. Even though I’m not fighting for a world title, I get to defend my WBO interim belt for the first time,” Parker said.
“I’m happy to be here, happy to still be involved in this great event and great fight card. I’m looking forward to fighting Martin Bakole and putting on a good show.”
While Dubois’ withdrawal put the brakes on the chance to fight for the heavyweight title for Parker, the WBO interim title, which the New Zealander holds, will be on the line against Bakole.
Artur Beterbiev will face Dmitry Bivol in an undisputed light heavyweight title rematch in the main event on Saturday night.
Beterbiev, the WBA,WBO, WBC and IBF champion, weighed in at 175 pounds, while Bivol tipped the scales at 174.1 pounds.
Josh Padley reveals where he was when he received a phone call to replace Floyd Schofield against Shakur Stevenson. (1:04)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Josh Padley, who before this week was largely unknown outside of British boxing circles, has said he can “definitely” beat lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson on Saturday.
Padley (15-0, 4 KOs) got the call on Tuesday night asking if he could replace Floyd Schofield, who had to withdraw from the fight due to illness.
The 29-year-old from Yorkshire, who still works as an electrician in the north of England, did not hesitate when asked if he wanted to take a fight that could change his life.
Padley had been on the tools on Tuesday morning. He didn’t know it then, but in the next 24-hours he would be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia preparing for the opportunity to become a world champion.
“I’d been at work that morning, done a bit of training. I’d just put the tea on with my fiancé,” Padley told ESPN in Riyadh.
“I was just about to eat … so that meal got skipped because I had to do a check-weight! I had to jump through a few hoops and that to get here but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It was a standard week, working the day job. Obviously still training the boxing because that is what I live and breathe. Tuesday night the dream phone call would come in .. world title shot, Shakur Stevenson on late notice. Can you do it? I went ‘yes please.'”
It is a testament to Padley’s commitment to the sport that he was still in shape and at a suitable weight to make the fight on three days’ notice.
Padley had a career best win over Mark Chamberlain at Wembley Stadium in September. That victory was deemed an upset. If he can get something against Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs), it would arguably be one of the biggest in all of sports.
Stevenson is ESPN’s No. 3 ranked lightweight fighter and No. 9 on the pound-for-pound list.
Asked if he truly believes he can beat the WBC champion, Padley said: “Definitely. I still train, even though I haven’t had a camp as such and I’m not as fine-tuned as I should be, I still train all the time.
“I’m still sparring, still doing my strength, cross fit sessions and regular runs. I’m in there [to win] and I know I can do it.”
Running on adrenaline, Padley hit the gym on Thursday to make the most of the limited preparation time he has.
“I was a bit tired [Thursday] morning. We landed at 7 a.m. I had a little snooze until 10 [a.m.]. I think the sheer excitement and everything that’s going on is just masking anything like that. So I just keep going.”
Stevenson’s promoter Eddie Hearn hailed Padley for saving the fight.
“I’m so happy for Josh Padley to be honest with you,” Hearn told ESPN.
“He beat Mark Chamberlain — who was His Excellency’s [Turki Alalshikh] little project. He’s going to make enough money to buy himself a nice house, pay off a mortgage and fight for the championship.
“He will give it everything by the way. He won’t just come in and hide, he will give it to Shakur.
“[But] Shakur is Shakur and I expect him to look sensational.”
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It wasn’t the opponent Joseph Parker was planning to face two days ago, but it was still a good night for one of the heavyweight division’s top contenders.
The New Zealander defeated short-notice opponent Martin Bakole with a second-round TKO in the co-main event of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 card in Riyadh.
The fight ended in slow motion. Parker looked strong in the first round, then landed a shot to the top of Bakole’s head that staggered the Congolese fighter, then knocked him down. Bakole’s corner threw in the towel rather than let him re-enter the fight.
Parker called for a heavyweight title shot after the fight.
“Who’s next? How about I fight for the world title next?” he said. “If Usyk wants a dance partner, I’ll get Uncle Frank to come in here and lock in a fight with Usyk. I want to fight for a world title. I’d like to be champion of the world again soon.”
The co-main event was initially announced as Parker against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, but that plan went out the window on Thursday when Dubois was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed medical issues.
The turn of events would have been a devastating blow for what was supposed to be the “greatest boxing card of all time,” had they not had a capable backup in Bakole. Considered by many to be the boogeyman of the heavyweight division, Bakole was the fighter no contender wanted to face due to a punching power that could end a fight in a second, but Parker agreed to face him.
Bakole entered the fight under obvious constraints. He didn’t arrive in Riyadh until Friday and weighed in unofficially at 315 pounds, 30 pounds heavier than his weight in his previous match against Jared Anderson. He was carrying a visible amount of extra weight and in the wrong phase of his training, but he still delivered intrigue to a reeling card that also lost Floyd Schofield in the previous fight.
Judging from the stoppage, Bakole’s corner didn’t want him to risk much. That’s understandable, and the loss shouldn’t hurt Bakole too much given the circumstances. As for Parker, he clearly has plenty of options in front of him after six straight wins, including ones over Bakole, Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Check out full results, highlights and Uncrowned’s round-by-round coverage for Saturday’s stacked Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 fight card here.
Who is Scotland-based Congolese heavyweight Bakole?
Congo-born Martin Bakole views himself as half-Scottish
Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol – plus undercard featuring Bakole v Parker
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Date: Saturday, 22 February
BBC Coverage: Follow radio coverage on BBC Sport website and app from 16:30 GMT, before switching to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website at 19:30. Follow live text on the BBC Sport website and app from 18:30 GMT.
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo via the central Scottish village of Greengairs, and now onwards to Saudi Arabia, Martin Bakole has stepped in at 48 hours’ notice as a late replacement for IBF world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
Considering Scotland does not exactly boast a rich history of world-class heavyweights, the 31-year-old, who has previously described himself as half-Scottish, might well find himself being fully embraced as he takes on Joseph Parker in a bout being televised around the world.
Bakole has been based in Airdrie, where he has been working with experienced Scottish trainer Billy Nelson, for almost a decade.
When Dubois was revealed to be ill after missing a media conference in Riyadh scheduled for Thursday, Bakole’s promoter, Boxxer, responded to the search for a replacement despite their fighter not being in camp and not due to enter the ring again until May.
Boxxer chief executive Ben Shalom told Sky Sports: “He was in the Congo – he’s on his way.”
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Bakole had been scheduled to face Nigerian contender Efe Ajaba in a final eliminator to face Dubois but will now take on 33-year-old former WBO champion Parker instead for what is expected to be a non-title contest.
Shalom described doing so as “crazy” but suggested it was an example of his boxer’s willingness to “fight anyone”.
“If you’re ever going to have a chance at beating Martin Bakole, it’s on two days’ notice,” he admitted. “But I still think he’s the favourite in the fight.
“I think a 50% Martin Bakole beats both heavyweights. Fair play to Joseph Parker as well for taking Martin Bakole. Everyone knew we were going to put our name in the hat – we were pushing for it.”
The partnership with Nelson, who previously worked with super-featherweight, lightweight and light-welterweight champion Ricky Burns, certainly appears to be bearing plenty of fruit, with Bakole quietly going about his business while some of the other names in the division have been taking the headlines.
At 6ft 6in and weighing 280lbs, Bakole cuts a fearsome figure and has put together an impressive professional record of 21 wins – 16 by way of knockout – with just one defeat.
That loss came seven years ago and his undoubted pedigree is reflected by the fact he is comfortably well within the top five in the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight rankings.
Speaking on the 5 Live Boxing podcast, former world featherweight champion Barry Jones said of Parker: “It makes no sense why they would take the fight.
“Bakole’s been avoided for a reason – because he’s big, powerful and skilful and also his engine’s improved dramatically since losing to Michael Hunter in 2018 – but not a massively sellable product.
“It’s a difficult fight for Parker because he’s been training for a different kind of fighter.”
Bakole has also sparred with Dubois and will hope a win over Parker will hasten a shot at the 27-year-old Briton – and his world title.
On his social media profile on X, he describes himself as born to conquer – and a win over the New Zealander on Saturday would certainly be a big step in that direction and the desire, expressed in a newspaper interview a few years ago, to stage a world title fight in his adopted homeland.
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