Ben Shalom on Parker vs. Bakole: "The Most Absurd Deal I’ve Ever Made"

Ben Shalom, head of Boxxer and promoter of Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs), shared insights into the whirlwind process of arranging a fight between his fighter and WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs).

Parker was initially set to face IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, after Dubois withdrew due to illness, Bakole stepped in at the last moment.

"This is the most absurd agreement I’ve ever made. Normally, we like to take our time. Daniel got injured, and I found out about it from a Ring Magazine tweet—just like everyone else. I immediately contacted Martin’s team and asked, ‘Are we taking this fight?’ They replied, ‘100%, we’re in.’

So, I messaged His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh]: ‘We’re ready. We want this fight. If there’s an opportunity, this is the only fight that should happen. This is it.’ We had a few quick negotiations. I got on the phone with Turki, and we sorted everything out incredibly fast. No delays. Martin wanted this. He was on a plane immediately.

Of course, there are still things to finalize—medical checks and so on. But this is incredible. He deserves massive respect because no other heavyweight on the planet would accept a fight against Joseph Parker on two days’ notice. It’s remarkable," Shalom told Fight Hub TV.

Earlier, it was confirmed that Parker vs. Bakole will now be for the WBO interim title.

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