Why did Martin Bakole cancel his GoFundMe campaign? Here is what made the Congolese boxer lose his temper and issue threats to fans

Heavyweight boxer Martin Bakole's GoFundMe campaign appears to have gone up in flames, with the Congolese pugilist threatening fans online after public backlash. For context, Bakole had set up a GoFundMe with the goal of raising £100,000 from fans in a bid to help him become a world champion.

However, the exact nature of the fundraiser was unclear and how the funds would help Bakole realize his world championship dreams wasn't specified. Furthermore, the need for such a campaign was also unclear, as he likely pocketed a hefty sum last year when he TKO'd Carlos Takam on the undercard of the Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury event.

Besides that, the GoFundMe drew further controversy due to comments made by some donors, who referred to Bakole as a pedophile. This stems from an ill-fated incident on social media when Bakole allegedly shared, on either Facebook or X/Twitter, explicit material featuring children, captioned with an angry face emoji.

While he appears to have, again, allegedly done so to express his indignation over such issues, it was misinterpreted by fans. Thus, in a rage, Bakole canceled his GoFundMe with £70,000 raised. Additionally, there has been speculation that the fundraiser was conceived on deceptive grounds.

Bakole allegedly owes the Congolese government £100,000 for a promised fight that never took place, with the heavyweight knockout artist subsequently refusing to repay the government the aforementioned fee. Therefore, some have accused him of using the GoFundMe to fund the debt he owes the government.

Regardless, Bakole threatened his detractors, asserting that none of them would say anything of the sort to his face. WorldBoxingNews reports that his exact quote, which has been translated to English, is as follows:

"If someone insults me again, we will see each other. Some of you will cover your faces like that when I come to Kinshasa. Let's see if you insult me in the face. From now on, I will respond to all insults. When I return from my country, I will wait to see if these insults [are said] in my face, and we will see."

Whether his GoFundMe scandal will draw further attention remains to be seen, but Bakole is not in an enviable position.

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Martin Bakole has never been a world champion, but has won titles before

Despite his controversy surrounding his fundraising campaign, Martin Bakole has been successful in the ring, albeit not at the elite level. He previously held the vacant WBO International heavyweight belt. Now, he is scheduled to face Jared Anderson, who was once in talks to fight Deontay Wilder, on Aug. 3.