Joseph Parker Dominates Martin Bakole with Stunning KO on February 22

On February 22, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the latest loaded Riyadh Season event took place. On this historic card, we saw Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) face the late replacement Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) for the WBO world interim heavyweight title. It was a true heavyweight shootout, with Parker landing the huge KO blow and retaining his interim title. The entire card was available through PPV outlets, including DAZN, TNT Sports Box Office, Sky Sports Box Office and PPV.com.

Joseph Parker Shines Against Martin Bakole in Riyadh

Parker vs Bakole Fight Recap

Parker was due to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF world title. As reported by The Ring, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) suddenly fell ill, and it was decided that he would not move forward with his world title defence. Three replacement options for Dubois were mentioned by The Ring: Lawrence Okolie, contender David Adeleye, and the undefeated Mourad Aliev. It was later confirmed that Bakole would step up.

Coming into the fight, Parker was fully aware of the dangers Bakole would present: ““Martin Bakole. I know it’s not for the world title, but he’s one dangerous man, and I respect him for taking the fight.

“This is the best card. We wanted to make it, if not the same, even better. So I feel like with Martin Bakole, he’s a tough challenge that no one wanted to fight. But I say this, I’ll fight anyone and everyone,” Parker said, discussing the importance of the card and his mindset toward facing any opponent,” continued Parker.

KO Win for Parker

The opening round saw Parker start strong, looking to establish his jab. The Kiwi fighter controlled the distance effectively for most of the round, avoiding any significant shots from Bakole. In the second round, Parker used his heavier weight to land a huge right hand, knocking Bakole to the canvas, with his trainer, Billy Nelson, pulling him out. We expected a shootout, and that’s exactly what we got. Joseph Parker continued his excellent run of form.