Comments Thread For: Beware Martin Bakole? Or beware the heavyweight hype?

[M312]

I understand people doubting him, but the biggest thing for me with the sparring stories is...

...None of the boxers ever deny it. They never speak of Bakole and they never deny the sparring stories happened.

They just ignore him, like he doesn't exist.
There's some truth there for sure.

[NihonJim]

Tony Yoka was once a "can't miss" prospect after a strong amateur career. I think Bakole brings a lot to the table and reminds me of Ike Ibeahuchi. We shall see.

That is a wild statement lol

[JakeTheBoxer]

He is top 10 by The ring. What is there to discuss?

[Bob]

Atm Bakolie isn't even Joe Joyce 3 fights ago.

I'm just happy heavyweights are now aloud to step up into mandatory positions without politics & the likes of Fury Wilder & Aj holding belts hostage with contracts fighting ever 9 months stagnating the division.

[M111]

Great and fair article but one thing it didn't address if the sparring stories. Yeah, we know sparring is just sparring - but that's only true up to a point ... if he really did drop Usyk and make Dubois quit then that's some serious ability - i don't think Usyk has been dropped in a pro fight? Dubois quitting is believable as he has form.

Bakole may get exposed (by a mover?) but I'm pretty sure Ajagba isn't the man to do it. As Billy Nelson said, likely Anderson would stop Ajagba.

I think you’ll find that Dubois dropped Usyk albeit by a contested blow

[Cyborg Fangerloo]

The thing that impresses me the most about him is the strange angles his shots come from. They are coming from those angles fast and hard as well. He could give some folks some bad nights!

[HisExcellency]

I understand people doubting him, but the biggest thing for me with the sparring stories is...

...None of the boxers ever deny it. They never speak of Bakole and they never deny the sparring stories happened.

They just ignore him, like he doesn't exist.
There's some truth there for sure.

100%...when Bakole first claimed he dropped Usyk in sparring I DIDN'T believe him. However, when questioned directly, Usyk's promoter denied it happened but credited Bakole for being the toughest sparring partner Usyk's had in recent years which leads me to believe that it DID.

"Bakole is a great kid," Krassyuk said. "He was Usyk's best sparring partner within last three training camps."

Also, the way he DEMOLISHED Anderson in 5 rounds was very impressive.

[PNUT901]

Good article. Excellent examples used . We will just have to see. Ajagba is a good test for Bakole.

[PRINCEKOOL]

Martin Bakoli's best win is up against a American Domestic Level Heavyweight 'Who has the traits of Rid**** Bowe's work ethic, but? Not the traits of Rid**** Bowe's talent and boxing ability'.

Bakoli is clearly I would say 'A dangerous Heavyweight fighter, due to his brute strength and power. But in every single Heavyweight era, there have always been fighters that have a high level of brute strength and power. To be a truly World to Elite level fighters, Heavyweight's need more of an all-round and complete game. And at this stage of Martin Bakoli's career? I still have not witnessed any World to Elite level skills on display in any of his fights'.

Martin Bakoli's last fight was against a Domestic level American Heavyweight fighter 'I just want to emphasize that point again. Apart from that win? Bakoli's best performance's have all been inside the boxing gym in sparring. I estimate that about 90% of Martin Bakoli's reputation is built up from sparring stories and performances'.

I was listening and watching TalkSport the other day 'And some of the presenters were acting all petrified, at the prospect of Anthony Joshua fighting Martin Bakoli. I personally don't think Anthony Joshua vs Martin Bakoli is a big fight, and Joshua really does not have much the gain from beating Bakoli. But skill for skill I would not be that apprehensive for Anthony Joshua in fighting Martin Bokoli. Because I don't rate Bakoli skill for skill as a Heavyweight fighter'.

Far too many people within the boxing community, get carried away 'Whenever a fighter appears with some power and aggression. The media then seems to focus on those attribute's and promotes those fighters as monster fighters. At the level of Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey, Julian Jackson, George Foreman, Ernie Shavers'.

Note: It was Toney Bellew who stated the point 'You rate offensive fighters, by who they have fought and knocked out. Not the number of knockouts'. Bellew then went on to ask the question, who has Deontay Wilder knocked out? The facts are Deontay Wilder has not really knocked out a high number of top level Heavyweight fighters, enough to rate him as the most devastating power puncher of all-time'.

Now if we apply that same method of analysis to Martin Bakoli''s career, and ask the question 'Who has Bakoli fought, and who has his knocked out? The best fighter he has fought and knocked out was a domestic level American Heavyweight fighter'.

Bakoli just like Dillian Whyte can hardly move inside the ring, and he looks even more easier to hit than Daniel Dubois 'Anthony Joshua skill for skill fought his worst professional fight ever vs Dubois. Daniel Dubois still even in that fight, sustained Heavy damage and was smashed up by Anthony Joshua'.

Anthony Joshua may have been knocked out, after gallantly fighting for 5 rounds. But in my opinion? Daniel Dubois actually sustained a higher level structural damage than Joshua, look at each fighters post fight interviews.

The main point I am trying to make is? Marin Bakoli is an even more easier a fighter to land on than Daniel Dubois.

To conclude: When a fighters main attributes are their brute strength and power 'Those type of fighters are ether going to win in spectacular fashion, or at some point in their careers? They will be smashed up. If Martin Bakoli wins his next fight vs Efe Ajagba, and then the potential fight against Anthony Joshua is made. I would back Joshua to smash Bakoli up'.

And I will extend that same notion to fighters such as Daniel Dubois 'Those type of fighters both Dubois and Bakoli, will be wining until they are not winning. Then they will be getting smashed up. We have pretty much already seen this with Daniel Dubois definitively against Oleksandr Uysk'.

So, is Martin Bakoli hype? In part yes, but you have to expect that sort of promotion 'When many people within the boxing community, and even media don't analyse fighters beyond a surface level. They see abit of brute strength and power and just get carried away'.

Martain Bakoli is for sure a solid Heavyweight fighter, but he is nowhere near to the level of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua 'At any stage of their careers in my opinion. Bakoli's boxing trainer Billy Neilson is a good trainer, and I am content that he has achieved what he has with Bakoli thus-far in his career' etc.

[Liondw]

He's a big sized, powerful punching heavyweight with a few flaws, Bakole, that is.

Anderson, big heart, but I could never understand what the hype was, as I could see he's not this great fighter they promoted him to be.