One man’s curse, another’s blessing. It depends on the way you look at it. Daniel Dubois had a title defense in hand. With a victory over Joseph Parker, he had an opportunity to prove that the 5th-round demolishment of Anthony Joshua was no fluke. But now he will have to wait and may potentially face a bigger risk. Following reports that suggested Dubois stepping out of the fight at the Kingdom Arena, Martin Bakole seems to have joined the fray as a last-minute replacement.
With his recent dominant performances, the big, burly Congolese heavyweight has become the division’s new boogeyman. So if he ends up defeating Parker, then Dubois might be dealing with an uphill task. Given that Bakole is ranked third and Parker fifth, it’s yet to be determined whether their no-title bout will be a title eliminator. However, a win for either Bakole or Parker would pave the way for them to stake a claim on the IBF title. But will it be so easy for Bakole to rout the tough New Zealander? Let’s check.
Predicting Martin Bakole vs. Joseph Parker: Who has better stats and record?
Indeed, it’s a fight between two resurgent fighters. It’s been over six years since Martin Bakole lost a match. His performances during the last few years, especially the stoppage victories over Carlos Takam and Jared Anderson, confirmed his name as the next big thing in heavyweight boxing. In a decade-old career, Kananga-born Bakole smashed sixteen of his 21 opponents into early submission, thus justifying the competitive 76% knockout-to-win rate.
MANCHESTER , UNITED KINGDOM – 2 November 2019; Martin Bakole following his heavyweight bout against Rodney Hernandez at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
But experience is not the field where Bakole enjoys some advantage. Having started his boxing career much earlier, the South Auckland-born heavyweight has come a long way since his first KO loss to Joe Joyce two years ago. Consecutive wins over big names such as Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang catapulted Joseph Parker into the heavyweight A-list. While Parker may have oodles of patience and experience, what he lacks is that finishing power. His knockout-to-win rate remains at a decent 66%.
Bakole and Parker height, weight, reach comparison, and more
Details regarding Martin Bakole’s reach remain unavailable. However, when it comes to height, he enjoys the upper hand. Standing 6 feet and 6 inches or 198 centimeters, he is taller than Joseph Parker, who records a height of 6 feet and 4 inches or 193 centimeters. Parker’s reach stands 76 inches or 193 centimeters. During his fight against Jared Anderson, Martin Bakole weighed around 284.4 pounds. Whereas Joseph Parker recorded a 247.6-pound weight when he fought Zhilei Zhang.
Prediction
There’s an old video going viral; it shows Martin Bakole predicting the outcome of the fights against some of the current heavyweights, including Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker. For the New Zealander, he said that he will defeat him either “on points or maybe knock him out.”
I will clean you all
warrior @boxxer pic.twitter.com/0jonxhYZ94
— Martin Bakole (@MartinBakole01) February 7, 2025
Another clip has caught considerable attention. It features Parker’s reaction when the reports emerged that Bakole would be his next opponent. “Oh! Let’s go!” he exclaimed. Later, he confirmed that he was ‘happy’ and ‘excited’ that a fight had been locked in.
Strictly on paper, Parker still remains the favorite to win the fight. With -160 odds favoring him, he has around a 53% chance of winning. But many will find it hard to conjure up Bakole as an underdog. During his last fight against a heavy hitter like Deontay Wilder, Parker produced a textbook performance. So will he carry the blueprint tomorrow night as well – maintain the distance with jabs, prevent Bakole from closing in as he did against Anderson, frustrate him over the rounds, and then plunge with neat overhand to cramp his style?
Our prediction: Joseph Parker winning by a narrow margin.
What about you? Do you think bringing in Bakole could prove detrimental to Parker’s resurgent career?
The post Martin Bakole vs. Joseph Parker Stats Comparison and Prediction: Record, Age, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio appeared first on EssentiallySports.