Boxer promoter Ben Shalom believes a heavyweight clash between Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole would be “a great fight” as both camps work towards finalising the IBF title eliminator bout.
The IBF has ordered No.4-ranked Bakole to face No.7-ranked Ajagba after both Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang opted to face each other instead of the Congolese fighter, leaving him without an opponent for his next fight.
Ajagba, who boasts a record of 20-1 with 14 knockouts, is coming off a career-best split decision victory over Guido Vianello and has already signalled his readiness for the bout with a confident “Let’s go” on social media.
The Nigerian heavyweight, nicknamed “The Silent Roller,” earned the WBC silver title earlier this year and is promoted by Top Rank, who according to Shalom, are eager to make the fight happen.
Bakole’s stock has risen considerably following his fifth-round demolition of previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson in California last August, after which he declared, “You don’t stand with Martin Bakole. I am a big man, and I am a machine. No one wants to fight me.”
The winner of the bout will become the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Daniel Dubois, who is scheduled for an optional title defence in February, with a potential unification bout against the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch on the horizon.
With both fighters known for their heavy hands – each boasting 14 knockouts on their records – the clash promises to be an explosive encounter between two of boxing’s emerging heavyweight forces.
