Plenty of prominent names were left stunned by how Joseph Parker dispatched of Martin Bakole in their interim WBO heavyweight title fight this weekend.
Parker arrived in Saudi Arabia last week anticipating to challenge for Daniel Dubois’ IBF championship. But just days out from their showdown in the co-main event of a stacked Riyadh lineup, the Brit withdrew due to illness.
Saving the day was Bakole, who traveled to the Middle East on late notice to compete for Parker’s interim gold. The pair set the stage for the blockbuster undisputed rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
While the main event was a memorable 12-round affair, the co-headliner raised eyebrows for the opposite reason, with Parker needing less than six minutes to find the finish.
Among those ringside when he stopped Bakole was one of just three men to defeat him in professional boxing, former two-time WBC titleholder Anthony Joshua. “AJ” took in the action alongside one of his most notable rivals, current unified heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
Suffice it to say, both men were shocked when Bakole went crashing down in round two.
Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua’s reaction when Joseph Parker knocked out Martin Bakole says it all
#TheLastCrescendo | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/xbUmRJfTrC
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) February 23, 2025
Moving forward, both “AJ” and “The Cat” could have their eyes set on Parker.
While many believe the New Zealander has earned a shot at Usyk following consecutive wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Bakole, others have pitched a rematch with Joshua while the Ukrainian potentially runs it back with Dubois.