Martin Bakole was knocked out in the second round by Joseph Parker, who defended his WBO Interim World Heavyweight title.
It was confirmed that Bakole would step in to fight Parker on less than 48 hours’ notice following the withdrawal of Daniel Dubois on Thursday.
Although the fight was perceived as a risk for Parker by fans, the New Zealander would score an impressive knockout in round two.
The win would mean that Parker defended his interim world title, and is now looking to become a world champion.
As Dubois was ruled out of the bout, replacements were sought after for Parker. However, Parker’s coach has now revealed the thought process behind accepting Bakole over other fighters.
Andy Lee explains why Martin Bakole was chosen over other options
Parker’s coach Andy Lee has explained the thought process behind accepting a fight with Bakole as opposed to the other options presented to the team.
Lawrence Okolie was an option offered to Parker, however, Lee revealed that it was not a name that overly excited the team.
Speaking to IFL TV, Lee said, “Joe never liked the Okolie fight,” as he felt that Bakole was a step above the former cruiserweight world champion.
Lee went on to explain what he said to Parker and his reasoning behind pushing his fighter to accept the fight with the Congolese boxer. “I said, ‘Joe, let’s take Bakole. They’re not ready, let’s call their bluff,’ and that’s what happened.”
The Irish coach would add that he had a lot of concerns about accepting the fight with Bakole, given the dangers he possessed. “[I] Had a lot of doubts, a lot of reservations.”
Andy Lee says what he wants next for Joseph Parker
In terms of what fight may be next for Parker, the New Zealander indicated in his post-fight interview that he wanted a fight with either Dubois or Oleksandr Usyk.
As Parker expressed a desire to become a world champion, both Dubois (IBF) and Uysk (WBA, WBC, WBO) are the world title holders of the heavyweight division.
Lee said that should Usyk and Dubois fight one another to become a unified champion, he would like Parker to wait and fight the winner of the bout when speaking to IFL TV.
If Dubois and Usyk do not fight one another, Lee said, “Give Parker one of them.”