Rumours have been circulating online recently that Anthony Joshua and the often-avoided Martin Bakole are set to face off in Africa later this year.
Joshua lost his last fight to Daniel Dubois in September when the WBC champion stopped him brutally in the fifth round. Since then, in a further blow to AJ’s future, any hopes of a much-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury ended with the Gypsy King announcing his retirement at the start of the year.
Bakole, who boasts an impressive record of 20-1-0 with 15 KOs, is coming off the back of two impressive wins himself against Carlos Takam and American Jared Anderson, who was undefeated before being knocked out. The Congolese heavyweight is currently in camp for his upcoming fight against Efe Ajagba in an IBF eliminator.
What Has Been Said About Joshua vs Bakole
Bakole’s camp has said it’s done, while AJ’s camp are adament nothing has been agreed
Ben Shalom, Bakole’s promoter, said: “It’s done. I’m hearing he’s signed, and we’re off to the Congo.”
However, in response, journalist Gareth A Davis has since revealed that Joshua’s camp hasn’t even had a conversation about a potential fight between the pair. Speaking to BoxNation, he said: “With them (Bakole’s team) saying that, I had to check with certain people.
“I’m hearing from Anthony Joshua’s side there hasn’t even been a conversation. Maybe this is Bakole and his team trying to speak the fight into reality, given Joshua hasn’t got a fight yet and Tyson Fury has retired and that was his obvious fight this summer.
“It would be a major spectacle in Africa, in Congo, in that stadium that Ali and Foreman fought in. It’s a great event if they can do it there 51 years after the Rumble in the Jungle, but I’m sorry I’m hearing there hasn’t even been a conversation about it.”
