The Big Man from Congo Crashes the Party
Martin Bakole is a 6’6” giant who hits with the power of a wrecking ball and precision of a surgeon who specializes in separating conjoined twins. He's complained to anyone who'd listen that he's the most avoided heavyweight in boxing. After what he did to Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson in Los Angeles, a lot of big names might start avoiding him for real.
Anderson was supposed to be the next big thing in American heavyweights. He was undefeated with 15 knockouts in 17 fights. The kid from Toledo had fast hands and knockout power. He trained with the great SugarHill Steward. Half-smart boxing people were already talking about him facing champions like Tyson Fury someday.
But Bakole had other ideas. He came into the ring looking like a mountain at 285 pounds, though this was svelte compared to past weigh-ins. Anderson weighed 252, the heaviest of his career, but he still looked tiny next to the man from Congo.
From the opening bell, you could see the difference. Anderson tried to keep his distance, popping precise jabs and quick combinations. But Bakole just walked through them like they were raindrops. He didn't even blink when Anderson landed clean shots.
Late in the first round, Bakole showed what real heavyweight power looks like. He caught Anderson with a right uppercut that snapped his head back, nearly separating it from his neck. Then he unloaded a series of hooks that had Anderson stumbling into the ropes. It was the first time Anderson had ever been knocked down as a pro. The look on his face said he'd just been hit by something he'd never felt before.
Anderson tried to box smart in the second round. But Bakole kept coming forward, cutting off the ring. His uppercuts were finding a home. His hooks were thudding into Anderson's body and head. The American's fast, gym-honed combinations weren't having any effect. It was like watching a man try to chop down a redwood with a pocket knife.
By the third round, Anderson was in survival mode. Bakole's heavy jab kept pushing him back. When Anderson tried to stand his ground and trade, Bakole's punches were heavier, louder. You could almost feel them through the TV screen. Anderson was game, but he was getting beaten up.
The fourth round saw Anderson switch to an orthodox stance, trying to find an answer. But there was no solving the Bakole puzzle. The big man from Congo kept landing punishing shots. Anderson couldn't get away from the ropes. He was taking a beating.
The end came in the fifth. Bakole landed a left hook on Anderson's jaw that dropped him hard. The American got up, but his legs were gone. Bakole didn't waste time. A straight right hand put Anderson down again. When the referee let it continue, Bakole swarmed all over him. The ref had seen enough and waved it off.
Just like that, the Jared Anderson hype train came to a crashing halt. And Martin Bakole announced himself as a real player in the heavyweight division.
After the fight, Bakole kept saying he was the most avoided man in boxing. Looking at what he did to Anderson, you can see why guys might not be lining up to face him. He's huge, he's strong, and he can punch. He's not particularly fast or slick, but he doesn't need to be. When you're built like a tank and hit like a sledgehammer, technique becomes less important.
Bakole's tried to get the attention of the boxing world for a while now. He's fought in places like Montevideo and Adelaide, anywhere he could get a paycheck. While big-name heavyweights were getting rich fighting in New York and Las Vegas, Bakole was grinding it out on the road.
Now at 32, Bakole's finally got his breakthrough win. He took out a young, undefeated prospect who was being groomed for stardom. He did it in dominant fashion on a big card. The heavyweight division has to take notice now.
Bakole's already calling out some big names. He wants Zhang Zhilei, the power-punching Chinese heavyweight who mowed down Joe Joyce and all but retired Deontay Wilder. That’s a great fight. He mentioned champions like Oleksandr Usyk and past champions like Tyson Fury. He called out contenders like Joyce, Agit Kabayel, and Joseph Parker.
Whether those fights happen remains to be seen. The boxing business is complicated. Politics and money matter more than who deserves a shot. But Bakole has proven he belongs with the elites.
For Jared Anderson, this is a hard lesson. He's still young at 24. Much like Lennox Lewis after his inexplicable loss to Oliver McCall in 1994, Anderson can learn from this beatdown and come back stronger. But he’s been public about considering boxing a job, not a passion, and the aura of invincibility is gone. The next time he steps in the ring, his opponents won't be intimidated. They'll remember how Bakole walked through his punches and broke him down. For now, he’s just an opponent, not a rising star.
It's a reminder of how brutal the heavyweight division can be. One day you're the next big thing, with TV executives and promoters telling you you're headed for greatness. The next day you're lying on the canvas, wondering what truck just hit you.
You never know what's going to happen when two huge men throw down. All the hype and predictions go out the window once the bell rings. Big meaty men slapping meat is still the best show on earth, even on a day that also featured WWE’s SummerSlam premium live event, various Olympics shenanigans, a CFL game, and a UFC fight card.
The heavyweight division is wide open right now. You've got Usyk at the top with all the belts. Then there's Fury and Anthony Joshua still hanging around. But after that, it's anybody's guess. Bakole just threw his hat in the ring in a major way. It’s a fun time now that the Saudis are ponying up the megabucks to convince guys to stop protecting their records and start beating each other up.
Will the big names give Martin Bakole a shot? Or will they find reasons to avoid him? He's not an easy out for anyone. He's large, he's strong, he can take a punch, and can knock out his opponent after swallowing a wasp (look that one up). He's got the kind of hunger you see in foreign-born guys who've had to fight for every meal.
Whatever happens, Bakole’s made his mark. He took a paycheck for a cameo appearance at Jared Anderson's coming-out party and then took Anderson apart. He backed up all his big talk about being overlooked with an even bigger performance.
That's the beauty of heavyweight boxing. A couple of frightening punches can change everything. Bakole waited a long time for his moment. When it came, he didn't waste it. Now he's got the division's attention. What he does with it is up to him and those ham-hock fists of his—hands so heavy, so light.