Boastful Bakole sure of victory over Zhang
Martin Bakole has vowed to beat Zhilei Zhang in front of his own fans as he targets a heavyweight showdown in China in the wake of his statement win over Jared Anderson.
Bakole thrust himself among the world’s leading heavyweight contenders earlier in August as he derailed the progress of rising American hope Anderson with a fifth-round stoppage victory in Los Angeles.
He is now looking towards Zhang as the latest stepping stone towards a world title shot having seen his rival knock out Deontay Wilder following high-profile fights against Joseph Parker and Joe Joyce, the latter of whom he stopped twice.
“I would love to fight big Zhang in December in China,” Bakole told Sky Sports. “I heard His Excellency wanted to make the fight in China so that’s the fight I’m looking for. If that happens I’ll be so happy.
“I’m ready to fight big Zhang in China before his fans. I always fight outside, I went to America and stopped Anderson, I went to Paris and beat Tony Yoka so I would love to go to China and beat Zhang in front of his fans, that’s a fight I’d love and I’m looking forward to it.”
Also read: Wembley sold out for Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois showdown
Bakole has often referred to himself as one of the ‘most-avoided’ fighters in the heavyweight division, previously claiming he even stopped Oleksandr Usyk during a sparring session.
His win over Anderson lifted his professional record to 21-1, with Bakole currently sitting No 1 in the WBA rankings and third in the WBC pecking order.
