As fans have no doubt read, Daniel Dubois is unfortunately out of Saturday night’s DAZN PPV fight with Joseph Parker. Ring Magazine broke this disappointing news a short while ago, with reports telling us that IBF heavyweight champ Dubois is “sick and is being evaluated by a doctor.” There was initially some hope that Dubois would be deemed fit to fight but the Dubois-Parker fight is now officially off.
And, in big news, Ring has now reported that Parker will go into a fight with Martin Bakole in Riyadh. This is one heck of a fight, a very dangerous fight, and some fans might even go as far as to say this one is an even better fight than the Dubois-Parker fight! Bakole, a huge man, has been called the most avoided fighter in the heavyweight division, yet now here is Parker agreeing to take him on at just two days’ notice.
Indeed, credit goes out to Parker, who could so easily have sat things out and not fought at all. Instead, the New Zealander has agreed to risk things big time against Bakole, a guy who comes in at around the 280 pound mark.
Of course, credit also goes out to Bakole, who was to have faced Efe Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator. Now, Bakole will fight Parker, presumably with the full IBF title on the line. It seems likely that Saturday’s winner will then fight Dubois whenever “DDD” is fully fit and able to return to the ring.
Congolese giant Bakole, 21-1(16) and coming off an impressive stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Jared Anderson, could well defeat Parker, we will have to wait and see. However, Parker, 35-3(23) looks to be in superb physical shape, and again, the fact that he has agreed to face danger-man Bakole, when he had spent so long getting ready to fight Dubois and his fighting style, really does show that Parker means every word of it when he says he is a guy who will literally fight anyone.
Who wins on Saturday: Parker or Bakole!!
