Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole | PPV - 22 February 2025

[THEBUTCH]

Oh listen to the fount of all knowledge on Bakole's condition....Adam Smith !

I'm sure Billy Nelson & team Bakole are avidly drawing upon Smith's undoubted prowess on a daily basis to see if Bakole is in a position to go ahead with the fight against Parker

[JamesPhilips]

Looks HUGE

[KiwiRider]

Oh listen to the fount of all knowledge on Bakole's condition....Adam Smith !

I'm sure Billy Nelson & team Bakole are avidly drawing upon Smith's undoubted prowess on a daily basis to see if Bakole is in a position to go ahead with the fight against Parker

If he talked to Billy, and repeated what he was told on the record so to speak, why would he risk saying anything other than what he was told?

[gregregegg]

Bakole was ment to fight in may… meaning he is approx 8-12 weeks early. Surely that means he will be in terrible shape. Bakole can KO anyone, and his style dosent use much energy but Parker should be able to box here and wear bakole down and Finnish him late (or win on points with a dominant back end of the fight).


Still very dangerous very live fight.

Edit, go look at bakole on instagram, looks quite fat. Even in a black shirt he looks proper fat.

[Taansend]

Edit, go look at bakole on instagram, looks quite fat. Even in a black shirt he looks proper fat.

He does, doesn't he. Although maybe the angle he's sitting at doesn't help.

[Taansend]

The funniest thing is Parker has just made Shakur look like a proper shithouse

What happened?

[JC]

Someone ring Turki and ask him to swap it round to Zhang vs Bakole and Parker vs Kabayle

[Taansend]

Someone ring Turki and ask him to swap it round to Zhang vs Bakole and Parker vs Kabayle

[MightyWarrior]

Love Martin Bakole, but he looks seriously huge in that photo, and that’s over a week ago… Billy’s going to be very nervous here, in case they’ve bollocksed it up taking this fight. And Shalom. Huge money I guess. He’s well overweight and it could be a disaster. I don’t know what to make of it really, he’s going to have to take Joe out of there fairly quickly I would’ve thought.. if he doesn’t maybe he’ll get a pass because late notice saving the show etc

Eyes could be popping at the weigh in.

[Jimmy2025]

Love Martin Bakole, but he looks seriously huge in that photo, and that’s over a week ago… Billy’s going to be very nervous here, in case they’ve bollocksed it up taking this fight. And Shalom. Huge money I guess. He’s well overweight and it could be a disaster. I don’t know what to make of it really, he’s going to have to take Joe out of there fairly quickly I would’ve thought.. if he doesn’t maybe he’ll get a pass because late notice saving the show etc

Eyes could be popping at the weigh in.

Agree.

With the crazy money about at the moment, heavyweights should always carry their gumshield on their person and always be within 5% of fight weight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

We have to kinda take this for what it is.

It’s still a late replacement. A really really late replacement.

He probably won’t need to acclimatise to the weather I’m guessing Congo is warm this time of year?

Mind you Saudi is max 29 deg this time of year.

[golden_labrador]

Someone ring Turki and ask him to swap it round to Zhang vs Bakole and Parker vs Kabayle

100%

[golden_labrador]

We have to kinda take this for what it is.

It’s still a late replacement. A really really late replacement.

He probably won’t need to acclimatise to the weather I’m guessing Congo is warm this time of year?

Mind you Saudi is max 29 deg this time of year.

flying and being in aircon a lot is a recipe for illness. who is the replacement for Bakole?

[Ruthless-RKO]

I wonder now if this will be for the WBO interim title. Now that Parker wont lose that.

[The Gratest]

We have to kinda take this for what it is.

It’s still a late replacement. A really really late replacement.

He probably won’t need to acclimatise to the weather I’m guessing Congo is warm this time of year?

Mind you Saudi is max 29 deg this time of year.

The equator runs right through the middle of DRC, so those to the north will currently be experiencing winter, whilst those to the south will be in late summer. Thankfully, Bakole is from Kananga, which is in the southern hemisphere with a latitude of 5°53′32″S and is currently experiencing temperatures of around 32° C.

This should be for the Pan Continental Southern Hemisphere Heavyweight Championship.

[cormack]

Too many assumptions being made about Bakole not being ready enough and JP will win it .

The pressure is on parker not bakole and all this last minute drama could be hugely stressful and distracting mentally .
DDD and Bakole may be about the same size but box very differently .

Anything can happen !

I see a cautious parker taking a 12 round win .

[keithmoonhangover]

Historically, boxers can struggle against late replacements. For that reason, I'm picking Bakole.

[tony1234]

We have to kinda take this for what it is.

It’s still a late replacement. A really really late replacement.

He probably won’t need to acclimatise to the weather I’m guessing Congo is warm this time of year?

Mind you Saudi is max 29 deg this time of year.

More worried about the 2500miles flight a day before the fight, utter stupidity , would have been different if he had been on the card or in the country but this is just a farce

[TBA]

If anything the game plan and training from Parker for Dubois doesn't really change with Bakole.

It is a box and move, in and out quickly job. If anything it is easier because Bakole is slower on his feet, punches slower and wider, and more than likely less fit.

So yeah, this is a completely different situation from going from Kirk Johnson to Vitali (Lewis), Miller to Ruiz (Joshua), etc.

Bakole had to take it, he is not getting a big fight any other way. Well maybe if he beat Efe but that would still be a few years away.

Could very well stun Parker if one of looping shots catches him though. We will see. Intriguing but the way parker has been on this run, I reckon that unfortunately, he makes routine work out of an unfit Samuel Peter.

[MightyWarrior]

Love Martin Bakole, but he looks seriously huge in that photo, and that’s over a week ago… Billy’s going to be very nervous here, in case they’ve bollocksed it up taking this fight. And Shalom. Huge money I guess. He’s well overweight and it could be a disaster. I don’t know what to make of it really, he’s going to have to take Joe out of there fairly quickly I would’ve thought.. if he doesn’t maybe he’ll get a pass because late notice saving the show etc

Eyes could be popping at the weigh in.

Agree.

With the crazy money about at the moment, heavyweights should always carry their gumshield on their person and always be within 5% of fight weight.

Yep. Wonder if it’s a public weigh in

What’s the betting he keeps his shirt on, I think Ruiz did that v AJ 2, for an in the ring too late to get your money back reveal.

Though no tickets for sale, what’s that all about? Is it a comped only crowd of 6000 tomorrow night?

Lots of Russians….makes sense

And why is Adam Smith out there, Is he now DAZN. Thank god TNT are showing it too, by miles the best commentary team, just missing the terrific Barry Jones.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Coco]

Love Martin Bakole, but he looks seriously huge in that photo, and that’s over a week ago… Billy’s going to be very nervous here, in case they’ve bollocksed it up taking this fight. And Shalom. Huge money I guess. He’s well overweight and it could be a disaster. I don’t know what to make of it really, he’s going to have to take Joe out of there fairly quickly I would’ve thought.. if he doesn’t maybe he’ll get a pass because late notice saving the show etc

Eyes could be popping at the weigh in.

Agree.

With the crazy money about at the moment, heavyweights should always carry their gumshield on their person and always be within 5% of fight weight.

Yep. Wonder if it’s a public weigh in

What’s the betting he keeps his shirt on, I think Ruiz did that v AJ 2, for an in the ring too late to get your money back reveal.

Though no tickets for sale, what’s that all about? Is it a comped only crowd of 6000 tomorrow night?

Lots of Russians….makes sense

And why is Adam Smith out there, Is he now DAZN. Thank god TNT are showing it too, by miles the best commentary team, just missing the terrific Barry Jones.

Awful news that they have given him work, painful to listen to

[Coco]

You would think his excellency would put his foot down

With the money which has been invested, only for Smith to turn up and ruin the broadcast

[Ruthless-RKO]

You would think his excellency would put his foot down

With the money which has been invested, only for Smith to turn up and ruin the broadcast

He'd have to mention on the comms before the fight that Turki is not directly involved in Saudi sportwashing

[TheGoods]

Martin Bakole weighed in at just under 300 lbs when he defeated Carlos Takam here in 2023.

From memory he had a back injury and had 2 weeks training.

He’s 10 weeks out from that May 2 date he had booked in so should be half fit.

He absolutely bullied Takam so am betting Joe won’t be looking forward to the first 3-4 rounds here!

Fun fight. WAR BALOKE.