Martin Bakole is a 6’6” giant who hits with the power of a wrecking ball and precision of a surgeon who specializes in separating conjoined twins. He’s complained to anyone who’d listen that he’s the most avoided heavyweight in boxing. After what he did to Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson in Los Angeles, a lot of big names might start avoiding him for real.
Anderson was supposed to be the next big thing in American heavyweights. He was undefeated with 15 knockouts in 17 fights. The kid from Toledo had fast hands and knockout power. He trained with the great SugarHill Steward. Half-smart boxing people were already talking about him facing champions like Tyson Fury someday.
But Bakole had other ideas. He came into the ring looking like a mountain at 285 pounds, though this was svelte compared to past weigh-ins. Anderson weighed 252, the heaviest of his career, but he still looked tiny next to the man from Congo.
From the opening bell, you could see the difference. Anderson tried to keep his distance, popping precise jabs and quick combinations. But Bakole just walked through them like they were raindrops. He didn’t even blink when Anderson landed clean shots.
Late in the first round, Bakole showed what real heavyweight power looks like. He caught Anderson with a right uppercut that snapped his head back, nearly separating it from his neck. Then he unloaded a series of hooks that had Anderson stumbling into the ropes. It was the first time Anderson had ever been knocked down as a pro. The look on his face said he’d just been hit by something he’d never felt before.
Anderson tried to box smart in the second round. But Bakole kept coming forward, cutting off the ring. His uppercuts were finding a home. His hooks were thudding into Anderson’s body and head. The American’s fast, gym-honed combinations weren’t having any effect. It was like watching a man try to chop down a redwood with a pocket knife.
By the third round, Anderson was in survival mode. Bakole’s heavy jab kept pushing him back. When Anderson tried to stand his ground and trade, Bakole’s punches were heavier, louder. You could almost feel them through the TV screen. Anderson was game, but he was getting beaten up.
The fourth round saw Anderson switch to an orthodox stance, trying to find an answer. But there was no solving the Bakole puzzle. The big man from Congo kept landing punishing shots. Anderson couldn’t get away from the ropes. He was taking a beating.
The end came in the fifth. Bakole landed a left hook on Anderson’s jaw that dropped him hard. The American got up, but his legs were gone. Bakole didn’t waste time. A straight right hand put Anderson down again. When the referee let it continue, Bakole swarmed all over him. The ref had seen enough and waved it off.
Just like that, the Jared Anderson hype train came to a crashing halt. And Martin Bakole announced himself as a real player in the heavyweight division.
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