Well, so much for not asking for trouble. Lance Pugmire reports that Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba, originally planned for Riyadh Season’s May 2nd show in New York before Bakole’s knockout loss to Joseph Parker, will instead join Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull the following day.
I’ll reiterate my opposition to tossing Bakole (21-2, 16 KO) right back in the mix on just over two months’ notice. Not only did he get floored in violent fashion just two rounds into the contest, he was in absolutely atrocious shape, shattering the scales at 310 pounds. Ajagba (20-1, 14 KO) is a level below Parker, but he’s got genuine knockout power in his right hand and enough technique to drive it into Bakole’s dome if the big man isn’t back in form.
I just don’t see the upside to this. Bakole’s boogeyman reputation is already hanging by a thread, held up only by the unique circumstances that preceded his loss. Rushing back into a matchup against a dangerous but relatively low-name-value heavyweight, potentially without the time to actually get into peak physical form, jumps the line between bravery and self-destruction to me.
