Joseph Parker only took two rounds to knock out Martin Bakole, a top-tier heavy weight that came in on the shortest possible warning of replacing Daniel Dubois, at the Anb Arena in Riyadh.
Bakole tried a feat that was definitely without a precedent in the sport. When Daniel Dubois, the IBF world champion, fell ill just two days before fighting parks, Bakole decided to replace him.
Traveled from Kinshasa in Dr. Congo, landed Bakole in Riyadh in the early hours of Saturday morning to take on parks, another world-ranked tongue weight, later that night for the latter WBO medical title.
Parker threw diligently at 310 lb Behemoth. But Bakole cuffed him with a hard dish just before the finish of the first round.
The two tapped gloves with respect and then allowed Bakole for a brief moment of partying. He liked his start.
Fight in gloves borrowed from Dubois, Bakole marched after parks in the second round.
There were hints of danger from Bakole as he lifted blows to the body, then his head.
Bakole shook shook by the New Zealanders cross and came for him.
But then Parker bowled over his right side. It cut Bakole high upside down. It robbed him of his balance, his legs quivered under him, and Bakole overturned.
Bakole used the ropes to harvest themselves vertically, but the judge would not let him continue and exclude him at. 2:17 of the second round.
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Joseph Parker says he will be world champion again
“Martin Bakole, thank you for accepting the challenge of flying all the way here at short notice and giving me a good fight,” Parker said afterwards.
“I remained calm, structured, composed and got the victory.
“I’m in shape, strong, healthy and sharp. Andy Lee broke it down for me, I had to be patient.”
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Johnny Nelson believes Joseph Parker could meet Anthony Joshua again
WBO Interim Belt means he should be the mandatory challenger for their world’s title held by Unified Champion Oleksandr Usyk.
“How can I fight for the world’s title next?” he declared. “If USYK wants a dance partner. I will fight for a world’s title. I will be the master of the world again.”
Gallant Padley beaten down
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Highlights of WBC Lightweight World’s Title Fight Between Shakur Stevenson and Josh Padley
Shakur Stevenson defeated Josh Padley after three knockdowns in the ninth round forced Briton’s corner to throw the towel in and pull him out during the break.
But taking WBC lightweight world champion who deep into the fight is its own kind of triumph for Padley.
On Tuesday, the Doncaster electrician walked around his day job. A little he was aware that in a few hours he would have a life’s opportunity to step in at short notice to replace the sick Floyd Schofield and challenge Stevenson in Anb Arena in Riyadh.
Beating Stevenson is a monumental task for anyone, so much less a fighter who had never competed at that kind of level before. Stevenson, an elite master, had already won the world’s titles in three weight classes and is in his starring role.
A quick, smooth South Paw, the American star took the goal of Padley in the opening round. He quickly closed the distance between them in the other and cut the sudden challenger.
Padley took the hits and swung manually when he could. But there was a gap in speed as well as skill.
Stevenson chose several clean shots in the third round. He closed it out with a hard straight one to two, and Padley had to mix his feet under him as he tried to keep his calm.
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Shakur Stevenson went into the ring to the tune ‘I just can’t wait to be king’ from Lion King
A cruel backhand left whipped to the body in the fifth round, there are scattered padleys reserves.
Stevenson began to walk off on him in the sixth round, cracked padley with hooks and lancing in a long lead. He started him further. But Padley lifted him around in a clinic and managed hooks at the master, in defiance.
So often, when it looked like the challenger was loosening, he would find a way to fight back or hang in there.
But eventually Stevenson broke through. Although the padley downed canvas in frustration as he went down, body shoots curled him on the canvas three times.
His corner pulled him out, beaten, but a fighter who should also be rightly proud.
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