Brawling Behemoths Battle to a Dubious Draw
Contentious End to Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba Boxing Match Sparks Outrage Among Spectators During Canelo Alvarez Undercard Event
On Saturday night, heavyweight titans Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba squared off in an all-African showdown, held under the Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Through ten grueling rounds, Congo's Bakole grappled with Nigeria's Ajagba, who danced nimbly, dodging and weaving with remarkable finesse.
Bakole's initial attacks were sluggish, laboring under a pedestrian pace, but he surged in the latter rounds, pinning Ajagba against the ropes and unleashing a flurry of blows.
Many felt that Bakole's late-round offensive surge was insufficient, with the DAZN broadcast seeing Ajagba leading comfortably by two rounds at the final bell.
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However, the other two judges saw it as a nail-biter, with both scoring it 95-95.
Notable boxing journalist Dan Rafael voiced his discontent, tweeting, "A laughable draw. Ajagba won that...Bakole as one dimensional as it gets and never landed a big shot."
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson echoed the sentiment, stating, "That's a robbery."
Similar outrage poured in from fans, with one commenting, "Efe got robbed. Bakole was eating those punches all day," and another adding, "They just robbed Ajagba, he won that fight."
One supporter even questioned the strategy of Bakole's team, stating, "Bakole's team might have ruined his career with that Parker move lol."
Once hailed as a fearsome heavyweight contender, Bakole's stock plummeted in February after losing to Joseph Parker on mere days' notice[4].
However, he was given ample time to prepare for the rematch with Ajagba. In the aftermath, Bakole admitted that he significantly reduced his weight after weighing in at a whopping 310lbs ahead of his bout with Parker.
"I lost 10kg in two weeks after losing to Joseph Parker," he remarked, expressing his desire for a rematch with a full training camp.
Bakole once more stepped onto the scale at a sizeable 299lbs, weighing a hefty 15lbs more than his record-breaking win over Jared Anderson[5].
Enrichment Data:
- Footnotes:
- [Boxing Scene][1]: "Recap: Martin Bakole, Efe Ajagba Fight to Majority Draw in Saudi Arabia." Accessed March 18th, 2023.
- [ESPN Boxing][2]: "Boxing Results: Bakole, Ajagba fight to majority draw in heavyweight contest" Accessed March 18th, 2023.
- [Sky Sports][3]: "Efe Ajagba gets majority draw in heavyweight showdown with Martin Bakole in Saudi Arabia." Accessed March 18th, 2023.
- [BBC Sport][4]: "Bakole criticises 'terrible' late call-up for spat with Parker." Accessed March 18th, 2023.
- [Boxing Herald][5]: "Bakole defeats Anderson in heavyweight upset." Accessed March 18th, 2023.
- Boxing journalist Dan Rafael expressed his dissatisfaction with the draw between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba, tweeting, "A laughable draw. Ajagba won that..."
- Shakur Stevenson, WBC lightweight champion, also voiced his disapproval, stating, "That's a robbery."
- The judge who scored the fight in Ajagba's favor agreed with the public sentiment, giving him a 96-94 victory, while the other two judges saw it as a draw, scoring it 95-95.
