Jared Anderson's career is in jeopardy after a devastating loss to Martin Bakole
Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) destroyed what some fans felt was America's best heavyweight, Jared Anderson (17-1, 15 KOs), with a fifth-round stoppage in the fight of the night at the Honorable Turki event Alalshikh. last Saturday, August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Bakole took advantage of Anderson's attack early in the first round by hurting him with a left hook followed by a right uppercut. He then followed up with a left combination that put Anderson on the canvas.
After the fight, Bakole said that Anderson should not face him in the first round because that is exactly what he needed to land his shots. Bakole expected Anderson, 24, to punch him early, but surprised him by wanting to sell.
Anderson's senior future is uncertain
Bakole knocked down Anderson twice in the fifth and finished him off with a flurry of punches.
Jared's loss puts his career with Top Rank in jeopardy, as it is doubtful that he is someone they will want to invest time and money in after this.
The way Anderson played, and his fights against Ryad Merhy and Charles Martin, showed that he doesn't have the punch, strength, and courage to compete against the top heavyweights in this division.
If Top Rank plans to protect Jared for the next three to five years, waiting for the big three, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk to retire, it won't work.
Anderson will not fare well against the likes of Bakole and Daniel Dubois. Even Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller, and Andy Ruiz could be a big problem for Anderson. My advice for Top Rank would be to cut Anderson.
If Honorable Turki Alalshikh wants to continue putting Jared in his events, that's his right, but he's going to lose more often than not against anyone with talent.
“I proved them wrong. People will get behind me every time I get in the ring, and keep winning. I'm the one who's been blocked the most in the heavyweight division,” said Martin Bakole speaking to BoxNation, thinking about his victory over Jared Anderson in the fifth round last Saturday night in Los Angeles.
“I think people have seen what happened yesterday and believe in me now. He survived. I think if there were ten seconds, I would have stopped him early,” said Bakole as he knocked out Jared in the first round. He survived, I took him out with five.”
Die-hard boxing fans believed in Bakole before, but his fans had never seen him play. Thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Bakole was allowed to show what he could do.
The best fighters, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk, showed no interest in fighting Bakole. They know how good he is and don't want to risk getting hit by a big puncher.
You can't blame chinny fighters like Anthony Joshua or old men like Tyson Fury for not wanting to fight Bakole because it will destroy their ability to make money.
“There was no power, and I had a big engine. That's why I've been going public. That was my plan,” said Bakole explaining how he was able to outrun many of Anderson's shots. “I expected him to beat me but he made a big mistake in the first round by going public. I said, 'This is an easy fight for me today.'
Anderson was shooting great body shots and combos on Bakole. However, he did not have the strength in his fists to gain Bakole's respect or slow him down.
In Bakole's 10th round loss to Michael Hunter in October 2018, he had problems due to a combination of punches from the former American star. Anderson couldn't throw the same combinations because he was injured from the first round after that. Anderson fought carefully but was pushed back by Bakole.
Bakole's Call for Big Challenges
“We want a big fight now. This was too early for him [Anderson] because he was not at my level. I deserve to be with Usyk, Tyson [Fury], Zhang, Kabayel, and Joseph Parker. These are the people where I belong. I am glad that the Honorable is behind me. So I think I will get the big fish I have been looking for,” said Bakole.
Of the names Bakole mentioned, Zhilei Zhang is the most realistic because he won't get fights against Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Agit Kabayel, or Joseph Parker. Bakole's performance against Jared Anderson almost ruined any chance he had of fighting any of them, and now he will be shunned forever.
“I'm talking about Parker and Kabayel. These three words. Joseph Parker, Kabayel or the great Zhang. These are the people I want because we all come from ten,” said Bakole.
If Bakole fights Joseph Parker, he will need to focus on his foot speed because he has become a defensive fighter who moves around the ring. Parker is like this generation's version of Chris Byrd, and it won't be easy for Bakole to get to him for any of his power punches.
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