Martin Bakole and Zhilei Zhang might battle subsequent in an IBF-ordered last eliminator. The IBF has ordered #4 Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) and #5 Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) to battle subsequent. Zhang-Bakole will likely be a monster film kind of battle, a match between two sluggish however highly effective heavyweights with punching energy paying homage to George Foreman.
If this battle comes off, Bakole might have met his match within the two-time Chinese language Olympian Zhang, who’s a giant counter-puncher with KO energy in both hand.
Bakole Faces His First Large Puncher
Zhang can take a punch, so he will likely be round lengthy sufficient to attach together with his photographs, and Bakole might not have the ability to deal with that type of ‘Large Bang’ energy.
Whereas Bakole is an efficient fighter, he’s not fought anybody who can punch throughout his 10-year profession. He was knocked out within the tenth spherical by Michael Hunter in 2018. Bakole has received 10 fights since that loss, however he’s the most effective man he’s fought throughout these six years with Jared Anderson.
He’s not somebody with out expertise who will fold like Bakole’s final opponent, Jared Anderson, on August third. Jared seemed like a inexperienced novice and had no enterprise preventing a heavy puncher like Bakole at that early stage of his profession.
The previous WBO interim champion Zhang, 41, destroyed Deontay Wilder earlier this yr by a fifth-round knockout on June 1st in Riyadh. Zhang made it look simple to cease the previous WBC heavyweight champion Wilder. If Zhang has the identical kind that he did in opposition to Wilder, Bakole isn’t going to final lengthy.
Zhang’s Fuel Tank Stays A Questionmark
A heavy-looking Zhang misplaced to Joseph Parker by a 12-round majority resolution earlier this yr on March eighth. Regardless of knocking Parker down twice within the contest, this was not certainly one of Zhang’s higher performances. He gassed out after three rounds, and it was all he might do to throw a handful of punches for the rest of the battle.
That battle confirmed Zhang’s limitations. He’s a giant puncher, however he gasses out shortly if he can’t get an early knockout, and he makes peculiar heavyweights look nice. Parker and Zhang’s fights in opposition to Jerry Forrest and Filip Hrgovic exemplify that.
Agit Kabayel was initially imagined to battle Bakole however opted for a distinct method. On February twenty second, Kabayel might be the following opponent for IBF champion Daniel Dubois.
