MARTIN BAKOLE is set to face Efe Ajagba on the Canelo-Scull undercard in Riyadh on May 3, according to his promoter Ben Shalom.
Bakole stepped in at only a few days’ notice to fight Joseph Parker on the Last Crescendo bill topped by Dmitrii Bivol’s victory over Artur Beterbiev on February 22nd but it did not go well for the DR Congo man.
A fit and firing Parker took him out after just 2:17 of the second round to move himself ever closer to another world title shot.
But the defeat meant Bakole, who had been stealthily rising through the ranks himself, was unable to face Ajagba in a final eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight title in his next fight due to the KO.
Now Boxxer boss Shalom has confirmed that Bakole and Ajagba will still meet and revealed that the all-African derby with Nigerian puncher Ajagba is set to take place in Riyadh on May 3,
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and William Scull are scheduled to meet for the undisputed super-middleweight title at The Venue Riyadh Season and Bakole-Ajagba will seemingly make up part of the undercard.
“It will be on the Canelo card,” Shalom told The Ring’s Louis Hart. “It just works better for everyone. Ajagba is the plan. The key is to keep Martin active and to give him a camp this time. That’s the plan.
“The hardest thing with Martin Bakole was getting people to know who Martin Bakole is. I think he’s done that. Now he gets in camp, let’s see how good he is.
“For me he’s still the most dangerous heavyweight in the whole division and will become world champion in the next 18 months.”