Will Bakole Survive Zhang’s Power? IBF Orders Heavyweight Eliminator

Martin Bakole and Zhilei Zhang could fight next in an IBF-ordered final eliminator. The IBF has ordered #4 Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) and #5 Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) to fight next. Zhang-Bakole will be a monster movie type fight, a match between two slow but powerful heavyweights with a punching power reminiscent of George Foreman.

If this fight comes to fruition, Bakole may have met his match in two-time Chinese Olympian Zhang, who is a big counter-puncher with KO power in both hands.

Bakole faces his first big puncher

Zhang can take a punch, so he'll be around long enough to connect with his shots, and Bakole might not be able to handle that kind of “Big Bang” power.

Although Bakole is a good fighter, he has not fought anyone who can punch during his ten year career. He was knocked out in the tenth round by Michael Hunter in 2018. Bakole has won ten fights since that loss, but he is the best man he has fought in those six years with Jared Anderson.

He is not someone without experience who will fold on August 3 like Bakole's last opponent, Jared Anderson. Jared looked like a green rookie and had no business competing against a heavy puncher like Bakole at that early stage of his career.

Former WBO interim champion Zhang, 41, destroyed Deontay Wilder earlier this year with a fifth-round knockout on June 1 in Riyadh. Zhang made it look easy to stop former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder. If Zhang has the same form as he did against Wilder, Bakole won't last long.

Zhang's gas tank remains a question mark

A tough-looking Zhang lost to Joseph Parker earlier this year on March 8 by a twelve-round majority decision. Despite knocking Parker down twice in the match, this was not one of Zhang's better performances. After three rounds he was exhausted and all he could do was throw a handful of punches for the rest of the fight.

That fight showed Zhang's limitations. He's a big puncher, but he wears out quickly if he can't get an early knockout, and he makes regular heavyweights look great. Parker and Zhang's fights against Jerry Forrest and Filip Hrgovic are an example of this.

Agit Kabayel was originally supposed to fight Bakole, but opted for a different approach. On February 22, Kabayel could be the next opponent for IBF champion Daniel Dubois.