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Saudi Arabia’s attempts to seize control of boxing have been relentless but not even its massive wealth and swaggering certainty can overrule the harsh vagaries of life. Boxing is an extreme and unhinged version of real life and it is always subject to bedlam and disruption. And so, on Thursday afternoon, there was a familiarly knotty twist in the sleek Saudi plan to stage “the greatest fight card in the history of boxing” in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Daniel Dubois, fresh from his destruction of Anthony Joshua, was meant to defend his IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker as the main undercard bout in a seven-fight extravaganza. It carried the promise of an intriguing and dangerous contest for both men – only for Dubois to fall ill with a virus.
The Saudis responded with alacrity and, in a matter of hours, they produced the best possible alternative at such late notice by easily persuading Martin Bakole to fly from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Riyadh.
Bakole presents a serious challenge for Parker in their non-title bout. He hits very hard and, over the past year, has been avoided by most leading heavyweights. While Bakole will obviously be hindered by the fact that he has had such little notice to prepare for Parker, he has been training for a bout against the relatively obscure Efe Ajagba next month – and has little to lose in Riyadh while making a huge amount of money.
Parker, in contrast, is now under intense pressure. A string of impressive victories had led to his world title shot against Dubois and he clearly believed that he could win the fight. A loss against Bakole would be devastating after so much hard work.
The vastly experienced New Zealander should still be too intelligent and hardened for Bakole. But the threat posed by the Scotland-based Congolese was obvious in his last fight. Bakole knocked out the previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson to improve his record to 22-1.
On his first appearance in Riyadh, in October 2023, Bakole had inadvertently endeared himself to the pitifully small crowd of locals. After he stopped Carlos Takam in a crude slugfest, the rotund Bakole alluded bashfully to his weight. He said he looked out of condition because an injury meant he had barely trained. “I wanted to thank Anna for helping me get this victory,” he said of his physiotherapist. “Without Anna I would not be here.”
The crowd, which had watched the boxing in virtual silence, roared. It was only later that we learned they thought Bakole had shown deference to Allah rather than the hard-working Anna.
Bakole brings an unpredictable edge but the loss of Dubois has put a large dent in the heavily hyped Fight Card of the Century. The immensely gifted Shakur Stevenson, the WBC world lightweight champion, is also facing a substitute opponent after Floyd Schofield was forced to withdraw with an injury earlier this week. Stevenson will cruise through his rearranged scrap with Josh Padley.
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The rest of the bill should be riveting – with Hamzah Sheeraz v Carlos Adames, Vergil Ortiz Jr. v Israil Madrimov and Joshua Buatsi v Callum Smith being headline bouts on more ordinary nights. But the absolute standout contest remains the rematch for the undisputed light-heavyweight championship of the world between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Their first fight was the most technically brilliant and absorbing bout of last year as Beterbiev, who had knocked out all 20 of his previous rivals, won an agonisingly tight majority decision. It was the first loss of Bivol’s exemplary career and he admits that defeat was wounding. In his understated way, Bivol has promised to reach a higher level of excellence against the remorseless Beterbiev. A fascinating battle awaits – which should compensate for the absence of Dubois.
Yet the sudden change to the much-trumpeted bill, which is called The Last Crescendo, is a timely reminder to the Saudis that they cannot bend everything to their will. They can use their financial muscle to seduce promoters and fighters and look to overwhelm any rivals and dismiss dissenting views in regard to the country’s woeful record on human rights. But boxing is defined by chaos. The most immaculate plans are still ripped up by the uncertainty of the fight game and the fragility of even its formidable champions.
As Dubois knows better than most, after a career pitted with tumult, nothing is certain in boxing or life itself. Parker will surely pay close attention to this salutary fact as he walks to the ring against his surprise opponent.
