The next time Martin Bakole ventures to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia it will be markedly different from the last time. In May, the month he returns, he will know in advance when he is to travel and will be able to plan accordingly. He will also presumably arrive at the airport in more suitable attire – that is, not sweating in tight jeans – and have the luxury of a direct flight and the freedom to stroll from the departure lounge to the gate without fear of missing his flight and ruining everybody’s fun. Last time, in February, Bakole was unprepared and in a great hurry. He smiled through it all, of course, yet the slapdash nature of his arrival in Riyadh was evident in both what he wore and how
Tag Archives: MartinBakole
05
Mar
Mar
Martin Bakole’s instant acceptance of a Saudi Arabia replacement-bout junket that led to him getting knocked out has not passed without appreciation. Bakole has been invited back to Riyadh, taking his originally planned May 2 heavyweight showdown against Efe Ajagba at New York’s Times Square to the Middle East, with the pair now set to do battle on the undercard of the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-William Scull undercard May 3, an official involved in the deal confirmed to BoxingScene on Tuesday. On the heels of his destructive August 3 knockout of then-unbeaten young contender Jared Anderson in Los Angeles, Bakole, 21-2 (16 KOs), was sought as a last-minute replacement for ailing IBF heavyweight Daniel Dubois, who withdrew from his planned February 22 title defense against former WBA titleholder Joseph Parker, 36-3