Eddie Hearn believes Martin Bakole and his team made a mistake in agreeing to fight Joseph Parker on 48 hours’ notice.
After Parker’s original opponent Daniel Dubois withdrew due to illness, Bakole stepped in at the last minute to face the New Zealander on the Last Crescendo card on Saturday night, on which several of Hearn’s fighters were competing.
Having only arrived in Riyadh less than 24 hours before the fight and weighing 310lbs, it should have perhaps been no surprise that the Congo native was dispatched in under two rounds.
As a result of the defeat, Bakole’s May clash with Efe Ajagba, though still set to go ahead, will no longer be a final eliminator for the IBF world title as originally planned.
And speaking to Seconds Out after the show’s conclusion, Matchroom boss Hearn admitted he felt the decision to jump in against Parker without a camp was a mistake.
– Took the fight on 48 hours’ notice
– Had no training camp
– Arrived at 3am this morningMartin Bakole deserves a huge amount of respect 🫡#ParkerBakole pic.twitter.com/I7NK4OyCBh
— Pro Boxing Fans (@ProBoxingFans) February 22, 2025
“I don’t think Bakole should have fought, if I’m being honest. He was in a great position – he had an IBF final eliminator.
“I get that they got a good payday for tonight, but when you look back on it now, were you really ever going to perform?
“I’m so pleased for Joe Parker, because he took a risk as well. He should get credit, because he had the balls to step up and take it.
“But looking back on the whole situation, was Martin Bakole ever going to be competitive in that fight?”
Saturday’s stoppage win carried on Parker’s rich vein of form and it would seem a travesty if his next fight were to not be for a world title, be that a rescheduled date with Dubois or a shot at unified champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
As for Bakole, he looks to have lost his place in the queue for now, though he was no doubt very handsomely paid for the inconvenience.
