Queensbury boss Frank Warren has changed his mind with regards to wanting to make a fight between his guy, red-hot heavyweight Moses Itauma, and Martin Bakole. And Warren has changed his mind in a pretty big way. From telling us he wanted to put 20 year old Itauma in with Bakole, this in a move designed to get the young southpaw rounds and additional experience, to now saying he is “getting sick and tired of hearing about Bakole,” Warren’s position sure has shifted.
Speaking with Box Nation, the promoter said that it is now down to Bakole to earn a fight with Itauma, that Bakole needs to look good in a fight, this something the Congolese giant has not done in his last two outings, if he’s to “deserve” a fight with Itauma.
Warren flips script on Bakole: “Let him prove he deserves it”
“I’m getting sick to death hearing about Bakole. We’ve seen his last two fights – he was lucky to get a draw [against Efe Ajagba] and he got poleaxed [by Joseph Parker],” Warren said. “Let Bakole have that massive fight he’s got [next] – let him win that massive fight – and then we’ll see if he deserves the shot [against Itauma].”
As far as who Bakole’s “massive fight” could be against when he returns to the ring, it could be a rematch with either Ajagba or Parker; at least these are the two fights Bakole, 21-2-1(16) says he has asked Turki Alalshikh to make happen for him. And if Bakole were to get his weight down, show up in top shape and win impressively against Ajagba or Parker (Parker especially), then he would be in a great position with him being able to call out some big names, Itauma included.
Itauma’s options open—but Bakole’s off the table for now
But as Warren says, Bakole has not looked good in quite some time, and the 33 year old is, for now at least, out of the running as far as getting a lucrative fight with the exciting and extremely talented heavyweight all of boxing is talking about right now.
As for who the 12-0(10) Itauma could fight next, we have heard names such as Otto Wallin, Jermain Franklin, and maybe Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang as possibilities for later this year.
