In a surprising turn of events in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Joseph Parker found himself shifting focus from the IBF heavyweight title fight against Daniel Dubois to facing off against Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole on short notice. The sudden change came about as Dubois encountered a medical issue leading up to the much-anticipated bout scheduled for Saturday.
Remaining undeterred by the unforeseen circumstances, Parker, aged 33, expressed his resilience, stating to Sky Sports, “The show goes on. It’s not just in boxing, but in life. Things happen, and you just have to adjust and adapt to the situation.” While Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, refrained from confirming the champion’s status before the weigh-in on Friday, he disclosed on Thursday night that Dubois was under evaluation by a medical professional.
Despite the absence of an immediate shot at a world title, the victor of the Parker-Bakole clash would position themselves as the next contender to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO belt, as declared by the World Boxing Organization. Parker, hailing from New Zealand, affirmed his readiness for the challenge, commenting, “I said it before, I’ll fight anyone and everyone, doesn’t matter who it is. Thanks to Martin for putting up his hand. He’s a tough fighter. I look forward to that challenge.”
With a professional record of 35 wins and 3 losses, including 23 knockouts, Parker previously held the WBO title, securing it in December 2016 by defeating Andy Ruiz but relinquishing it to Anthony Joshua after 15 months. On the other hand, Bakole, boasting a record of 21 wins and 1 loss with 16 knockouts, weighed over 280 pounds in his most recent fight, where he stopped Jared Anderson in the fifth round last August in Los Angeles.
The 27-year-old Dubois had aimed to clinch victory and set his sights on a showdown with Usyk later in the year. His title defense last September featured a dominant fifth-round knockout of Joshua in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. The London native had ascended to the championship three months prior when the IBF title was vacated by Usyk.
While the spotlight of Saturday’s event shines on the highly-anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, where Beterbiev emerged as the undisputed light-heavyweight world champion following a contentious points decision over Bivol in October.
For more boxing updates, visit the AP Boxing hub: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing
