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Joseph Parker obliterated Martin Bakole with a second-round knockout for the WBO interim heavyweight world title.
Parker was initially scheduled to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight world title. Dubois pulled out on fight week due to a severe illness, leading to Bakole stepping in on an honorable short notice to pursue the WBO interim heavyweight strap.
The fight started slow with both fighters enduring a feeling-out process. In the second round, Bakole attempted to walk down Parker, with the former's size looking to be a factor.
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With less than a minute in the second, Parker unloaded an overhand right that landed near Bakole's forehead. Bakole seemed to shake it off before having a delayed reaction.
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Bakole's legs wobbled before he fell to the ground. The short-notice replacement heavyweight returned to his feet before the fight was stopped.
The commentary team claimed the corner called for the fight to be stopped. The official result was a knockout instead of a technical knockout.
Parker extended his professional boxing record to 36-3, extending his impressive winning streak featuring Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Meanwhile, Bakole suffered his first loss since a tenth-round knockout loss against Michael Hunter in October 2018, pushing his record to 21-2.
The 31-year-old recently became a boogeyman in the heavyweight division after taking out Carlos Takam and Jared Anderson.
Parker is expected to receive a big fight against Daniel Dubois or Oleksandr Usyk later this year. The Aussie heavyweight has proven to be a dangerous opponent for anyone.
Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole video highlights
Martin Bakole warms up before attempting to pull off an upset win against Joseph Parker.
Parker was dancing to conclude his warmup.
Bakole makes his walk to the ring sporting the flag of the Democratic Republic of The Congo.
Parker makes his walk to the ring to potentially make a statement against Bakole.
Parker lands a massive overhand right to the top of Bakole's head. Bakole's corner called the fight. Parker wins by second-round TKO.
Parker has his hand raised following a statement-making performance.
Parker calls for a world title shot after extending his win streak.
