Anthony Joshua’s camp has shut down rumors that a fight with Martin Bakole had been agreed on and was set to be held in Africa. There were rumors floating around this past week that Joshua and Bakole were set to meet after Bakole’s match with Efe Ajagba. Most of the news was spread by Bakole’s side, which gave them a tint of authenticity.
But sports journalist Gareth A Davis has revealed that people loyal to Joshua have denied that agreements of any sort had taken place or that even proper talks had been held.
Davis said: “With them saying that I had to check that out with certain people who shall remain nameless off the record, but I’m hearing from Anthony Joshua’s side, there hasn’t even been a conversation.
“Maybe this is Bakole and his team trying to speak the fight into reality given that Joshua hasn’t got a fight yet and Tyson Fury has retired and that was his obvious fight this summer.”
According to Davis, a bout like that could possibly be held at the venue of the famous Rumble in the Jungle in Congo. But he added that a conversation to bring the right to life hasn’t been here at all, making it quite unlikely that the right could happen anytime soon.
A Joshua vs. Bakole fixture would, no doubt, be one of the biggest events of the year. Joshua, a former champion, will be facing Bakole, one of the best men in the heavyweight division right now. Bakole is currently vying to become the mandatory IBF challenger and he would know his fate after the fight with Ajagba. Becoming the mandatory challenger would see him fight for the title next, and he could become a champion in the division.
The match will also give Joshua the opportunity to restore his honor, following a series of losses in his recent fights that have made many wonders if it’s time for him to retire. A win over Bakole would be enough to shut naysayers and give him another trial at becoming champion.
Still, all of that will only happen after the two sides meet and talk things over to reach an agreement. Although this is something that seems likely to happen right after the Bakole vs. Ajagba fight, as the outcome of the fight will dictate how things play out.
