The Last Crescendo - Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole: Live round-by-round updates

Joseph Parker faced Martin Bakole in the co-headlining bout of the boxing PPV card dubbed 'The Last Crescendo.' The event took place on Feb. 22 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Parker was originally scheduled to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title in the co-main event. However, Dubois was forced to pull out of the fight due to illness, and Congo's Bakole stepped up to face Parker on short notice.

Although the full title was not on the line in the short-notice fight, it marked an intriguing clash of elite heavyweight contenders as Bakole, who was coming off a fifth-round knockout win over Jared Anderson, was on a 10-fight win streak.

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The Last Crescendo: Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole

Round 1

Bakole was the stationary fighter, while Parker used a lot of feints to draw a reaction, landing body jabs in the process. Bakole primarily relied on his jab, rarely attempting to move forward or let his power hand go. A short right hook from the Congolese boxer grazed Parker's chin in the closing seconds but the bell did not allow him to build on the momentum.

Our score: 10-9 Parker

Round 2

Bakole increased the output but Parker still led the dance. However, Bakole landed the more impactful strikes whenever they clinched. Bakole started walking him down and it appeared that Parker would be outgunned in close-range exchanges. However, the Kiwi boxer swung a heavy overhand right that connected to the top of the head. A delayed reaction sent Bakole crashing down to the canvas. He could not answer the 10-count and Parker was declared the winner by T/KO, retaining the WBO interim heavyweight title.

Official result: Joseph Parker def. Martin Bakole by knockout (R2, 2:17)