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
Tag Archives: SaudiArabia
Feb
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries are increasingly important in some of this focus on what happens next. By SETH J. FRANTZMAN FEBRUARY 27, 2025 21:08 Updated: FEBRUARY 27, 2025 21:35 Hamas terrorists stand guard in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (photo credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled) The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire appears to be headed for an extension. This is because it is in Hamas’s interest to keep the ceasefire going. Now that Hamas has emerged above ground and Gazans are seeking to return to a more peaceful life amid the destruction of the war, many people will want the ceasefire to continue. Hamas has shown flexibility. It always wanted a ceasefire, and it wanted to use the hostage deal to draw it
Feb
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it would not formalise ties with Israel unless a Palestinian state was established, after the Israeli prime minister remarked that he thought normalisation with the Gulf kingdom was “going to happen”. “Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. Both US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden have backed Israel and Saudi Arabia having diplomatic relations. Riyadh paused tentative talks on the matter early in the Gaza conflict and hardened its rhetoric as the war continued. In a shock announcement on Tuesday, Trump said the US would take over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip after
The Hajj, a sacred journey for Muslims, requires able individuals to undertake the pilgrimage once in their lifetime. However, this year’s Hajj witnessed a significant challenge as temperatures in Mecca surged above 115 degrees, causing hundreds of people to collapse, and many to succumb to heat exhaustion. The Hajj follows a lunar calendar, meaning it […]