Martin Bakole is eyeing a homecoming fight in Africa and believes Anthony Joshua would be the perfect opponent for that.
Bakole was born in Congo but now resides in Scotland, whilst Joshua, who was born in London, has Nigerian heritage.
Bakole saw his stock catapult after blowing away Jared Anderson in five rounds in Los Angeles earlier this month, on a card put together by Saudi sports boss, Turki Alalshikh.
After receiving a hero’s welcome on a recent visit to Congo, the 31-year-old is targeting a bout there.
“In Africa I need my president to be involved but, thank god, he is open to it,” he told talkSPORT.
“I will try to ask His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh].
“It would be such a pleasure for me to fight in Africa and be an ambassador in Africa for Riyadh Season.
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“I’ve been calling people out like Joshua because he is originally from Nigeria.
“My hope is I always want to fight back home in Africa, because I’ve never fought in Congo, my country.”
Joshua will first take on IBF heavyweight champion, Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium, in another event backed by Alalshikh, before potentially facing the victor of the December 21 rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
A fight between Bakole and fellow heavyweight powerhouse, Zhilei Zhang has been mooted and Bakole admitted after beating Anderson that he’d be open to facing the China native.
“Knockout again,” the Congolese told Pro Boxing Fans on a bout with Zhang.
“I love it.
“No more time to play.
“People say I’m the next George Foreman, so I’m ready to knock them out.”
(Photo Credit: Mark Robinson, Matchroom)
Following his devastating knockout of Anderson, Bakole drew comparisons with former two-time heavyweight world champion, Foreman who fought Muhammad Ali in Africa in 1974.
Should Joshua agree to a future fight with Bakole, it would be the third African-born fighter he would have faced behind Carlos Takam and Francis Ngannou, both of whom were born in Cameroon.
