This Saturday’s fight featuring Saul “Canelo” Alvarez hasn’t generated much buzz among fans, perhaps because his opponent, Cuban William Scull, is not considered worthy of the grand stage he’ll be stepping onto. However, the card scheduled at The Venue Riyadh Season includes other matchups that promise thrills and fireworks—among them, the clash between heavy-handed heavyweights Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba, who are ready for war.
Three months ago, Martin Bakole was in the prime of his career. He was riding a ten-fight winning streak and had just dismantled highly regarded American prospect Jared Anderson in only five rounds with a dominant performance.
Then came an unexpected call from Turki Alalshikh’s camp, which prompted the Congolese fighter to rush from the Congo to Saudi Arabia overnight to face experienced contender Joseph Parker—who had been left without an opponent after Daniel Dubois fell ill.
Bakole accepted the bout solely because of the massive payday on offer. But once in the ring, the sporting absurdity of the situation became clear to everyone: an overweight, sluggish, and out-of-shape Bakole was wiped out in just two rounds by a crushing right hand to the head and was stopped by his corner.
This time, Martin has had ample time to properly prepare, and he’ll be aiming to prove against Ajagba that he’s still the destructive force who wowed the boxing world with knockout after knockout.
Standing in front of him is a fighter whose strengths and weaknesses are well-known. Ajagba has brutal power, an imposing frame, and solid straight punches, but these assets are offset by a less-than-iron chin and stiff upper body movement that leaves him vulnerable on defense. His punch variety is also limited, although he has recently tried to use uppercuts more often than in the past.
The Nigerian puncher has been inactive for over a year, ever since earning a split decision win over Italy’s Guido Vianello in a tightly contested fight. Ajagba was caught off guard by Vianello’s brilliant start, took control in the middle rounds, but ended the fight visibly gassed—so much so that some neutral observers thought he didn’t deserve the win.
Heading into this Saturday’s bout, oddsmakers have Bakole as the clear favorite (with current odds at 1.28 for the Congolese and 3.75 for Ajagba), which is not surprising. When two attack-minded fighters with shaky defense meet, the more solid one often prevails.
Ajagba certainly has the weapons to pull off an upset, but given the several times he’s been rocked or dropped during his career, he appears to be the more likely of the two to hit the canvas—especially if the fight turns out to be as wild and explosive as expected.
Regardless of the outcome, our advice to all lovers of no-holds-barred ring wars is: don’t miss this one. It’s highly unlikely to turn into a tactical chess match. When the first bell rings, expect all-out war!