‘Most avoided heavyweight on the planet’

*Bakole has been sparring the best fighters in the heavyweight division for years*

Ben Shalom writes for TalkSport that as promoter of Boxxer, Ben Shalom looks after some of boxing’s most exciting fighters. In his second exclusive column for talkSPORT.com, he talks about one in particular…

Martin Bakole is the most avoided man in the glamour division and can beat every heavyweight on the planet on his day.

Bakole showed just how good he is against Carlos Takam in September.

He came in highly overweight, having picked up an injury that had made it difficult for him to train, yet he still managed to blast the Frenchman out in four rounds.

Seven months earlier, we had witnessed Takam roll back the years by destroying Tony Yoka in Paris.

This was supposed to be a tough night on paper, but Bakole made it look easy.

GOT IT ALL

The Congolese puncher is a brutal fight for anyone at his weight.

He has all the physical attributes needed to reach the sport’s top.

His stamina is excellent, he’s solid, and on top of all of that, he is an excellent boxer.

It’s only a matter of time before he will be dining at the top table with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk.

*The WBA has ordered Bakole to face Don King fighter Cassius Chaney in a final eliminator bout for a version of their heavyweight title*Without a doubt, he causes all of them real problems. They all know what a hard night’s work he will be.

Bakole has been up there sparring with Joshua, Fury, and Usyk.

If you asked them what they thought of him, they would agree that he has everything.

He’s not someone who Usyk will quickly outclass, he’s not someone that Fury can lean on and dictate with his size, and he’s not someone that Joshua can blow away.

THIS IS HIS YEAR

He matches anyone for boxing ability. I won’t sit here and tell you how he beats everyone individually; that’s for his team to work out.

But I will say that none of them will want to fight Bakole.

He is probably at the top of their lists for nights they don’t want to have, which is the biggest compliment you can pay to a fighter.

His profile has almost certainly elevated since signing with BOXXER and Sky Sports 12 months ago – and he will get his opportunities, the next being against Cassius Chaney in a WBA heavyweight title final eliminator.

Beyond that, Manuel Charr is fighting Kubrat Pulev for the ‘Regular’ belt, so there are opportunities in the WBA.

Bakole is eyeing up the 50th anniversary of the Rumble in the Jungle in Congo this year.

He is undoubtedly the most prominent Congolese fighter on the planet, so he also has some personal goals to achieve.

Mark my words: 2024 will be the year that Bakole comes to the forefront of the heavyweight division.