February 21, 2025 • 9 mins
Boxer Joseph Parker insists he has no problem with the man dubbed the most avoided fighter in the heavyweight division becoming his new opponent for his fight in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The New Zealander will now face 21-and-one Congolese fighter Martin Bakole in Riyadh – after the withdrawal of British IBF champion Daniel Dubois due to illness.
Parker's told boxing outlet IFL TV he and his team told Saudi power broker Turki Al-Sheikh they wouldn't shy away from any replacement.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duescy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good Evening, Liam Evening, does.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
You're over there in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
all hell broke loose, pandemonium over like New zealanm time
when Daniel Dubois, what's he done? I haven't heard? Is
he pulled a sickie? I mean, have we heard any
news about why he's walked from this title fight?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Details very sketchy to us, or we know.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
His promoter, Frank Warren, would not divulge details, and it
does seem a little bit murky, and you know, this
is the world of boxing. Twenty four hours earlier, to
performed his public workout.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And it didn't seem to be any issues there.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
He was giving interviews and then a day later he's gone,
nowhere to be seen.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Wasn't in promotional photos.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
But it's a massive setback for Joe because he's waited
nine years for a second crack at another world title.
He hasn't fought since March. He's put all his preparations
in for this and to have a late change like this,
you know, will be incredibly frustrating.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Rumors around Dubois and why they've made this decision, because
if he is pulling a sickie, there's got to be
an endgame.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Well, I guess the conspiracy theorist in Midas looks to
the undisputed fight on the horizon with Alexander Usik, the
Ukrainian kingpin of the heavyweight division, and the massive payday
that would be for Daniel Dubois, probably in the vicinity
of twenty million dollars. He holds the w the IBF title,
(01:52):
and so Olexander Usik holds all the rest of the
heavyweight belts, so that is a massive fight. Maybe his
promoter and Daniel got together and said, hey, this isn't
worth the risk. But there is also a chance that
he is sick, that he's come down with some form
of illness and is not able to fight. So all
(02:15):
we know is that they're telling everyone he's sick, that
he was being ex tested by a doctor. And now
Joe Parker is still fighting, but on twenty four hours notice,
he's preparing for a new opponent.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
He'd got to be pretty brave to across the Saudi
royal family. So I'm presuming it is reasonably truthful what
he's going through. Let's talk about NICOLEI the guy that
he's fighting. Eddie Hearn said, hey, look he's a big,
scary man. He's got a great record, he's ranked high
right across IBFWO, etc. But he's a chance he's going
to run out of steam. His fitness is not the
(02:48):
greatest and he's been sitting around on the congo, so
he's ripe. When you consider the ability of Joe Parker
to pace his fight, so it might be all right.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, I'm a bit nervous to us. I think Look,
Joe should have the endurance. He's incredible, well prepared in
terms of his body composition. He's going to weigh in
at a career heaviest for this fight. That was always
the plan. He'll be around one hundred and eighteen hundred
and nineteen kg, which should give him more power and
(03:20):
more durability, which he wants against his really heavy hitting opponents.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And mentally he's very.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Confident Parker based on the work he's put in with
any Lee and Ireland. You know, he's waited for this
chance for a long time. But look, Martin McCole is
the most avoided fighter in the heavyweight division.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
They call him the Boogeyman, And in.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
His last fight in August, he absolutely steamrolled a guy
called Jared Anderson, who was a highly touted prospect out
of America, and he flawed him inside five rounds, just
to really underline how just how powerful he is. So
similarly to Dubois, similarly to Johntay Wilder and who Parker
(04:07):
defeated in his last two fights. This is another very
heavy handed guy that Parker will need to be weary
of early on, box and move and then, like you say,
down the stretch, take Bakoli into deep waters, test his fatigue,
and then he could be vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Why would he say yes to a fight like this,
do you think, Liam? Because it does represent a clear
and present danger. We know he's brave, we know he'll
take any fight, it doesn't matter. And here the same
situation when people didn't want to fight him as recently
as a couple of years ago because he was a
dangerous prospect. So why would Parker take a fight like
(04:45):
the song?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I think it's as simple as keeping the card and
checked us that you do not want to get off
sides with the turk Alishik and the Saudi ruling class,
essentially that there's so much money tied up in these
events and they want to keep the card going.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Joseph Parker's here, he's.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Putting all the work, he's ready to fight, and the
promoters want us to go ahead. So look, Joseph has
reputation in recent times is that he duckts no one.
He will take on anyone that comes his way, anyone
that they want to feed him. And so look he's
under contractor fights. He's here and he's ready to go,
(05:31):
and he's I guess what, Above all else, he's proven
again that he's incredibly fearless.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You're over there, Liam, taking a good look. You kind
of only disappeared a matter of a few days ago.
Tell us about her. What's it like Because you're a
foreign journalist, so I expect you're getting fated and treated
like a like a god.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
No, I'm not sure about that, but I wish.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Look, it's an interesting place my first time in the
Middle East.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's in the middle of.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
The desert, obviously, so it's a bit of a uh,
I guess you could say a bit of a contrived world.
Where the press comments was last night, it was in
a place called Boulevard City, which is very strange places,
but like Disneyland, there's a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
There's a cable car and lots of.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Music and eateries, and then you have this press conference
there and then not too far from there you've got
a UNESCO Heritage site where the Saudi ruling family used
to live. And yeah, sort of desert all around, very busy,
a lot of money in this area with oil, so yeah,
(06:44):
just sort of soaking it.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
In and taking your look around.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But it's I guess the money involved in this boxing
event now has certainly changed the game. READD is now
the basically the de facto home of boxing because of
the money the persons involved. We're seeing now the best
fighting the best. So it's very that the boxing landscape
(07:09):
has been turned on it's.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Head in the past couple of years. And in terms
of what we're seeing with.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
The best fighting the best, we haven't seen that for
a long time. And you only have to look at
this card and go through it to see that it's
been called the card of the century. So in terms
of the sport and the fans that they getting great
matchups now.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I love David Higgins. A few years ago. So how
on earth did they make these fights when suddenly they
had all the best boxers in the world. He goes, Oh,
it's quite simple, Darcy. They put everybody around the big table,
put a sack of money in the middle of it
to do what some of this that everybody signed. Well,
it's pretty simple, isn't it. It's on a complex sport
like that.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's the money talks to us.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
And look, if you and I were offered ten million
to get in the ring and pound each other, I
think we'd probably jump at that as well.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It wouldn't last five minutes mate, for either of us.
We'd both get the stitch and collapse. So just at
an lamb napier. What's he pocketing from this? You get
any idea what Joe's going to walk away with.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
I think it's single figures, but you're probably looking at
something in the vicinity of five to seven million, so
it's not a bat payday. But if he gets through this,
then he puts himself right in line for a title shot,
hopefully for Parker's sake, and you're looking to double that purse,
(08:28):
so big, big sums, big figures and the other thing
for Joe is he is putting his WBO Interium title
on the line, so he was set to vacate that
heavy fort Daniel Dubois, but now that fight's not happening
that that title does go on the line this weekend,
So a lot at stake for Joe in terms of
(08:50):
his well right now the purse is involved, but also
his short and long term future in the sport.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
And on Matte, we'll let you get on with it.
Good on you, Thank you very much, Liam Napier. Enjoy
your time over there. Bringing back a souvenir, you know,
like an noveld you had that it'd be fantastic.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Look after yourself, Jeers Dows.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I'll see what I can do and I'll show you
look good in the in the full full Saudi attire.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duescy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good Evening, Liam Evening, does.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
You're over there in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
all hell broke loose, pandemonium over like New zealanm time
when Daniel Dubois, what's he done? I haven't heard? Is
he pulled a sickie? I mean, have we heard any
news about why he's walked from this title fight?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Details very sketchy to us, or we know.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
His promoter, Frank Warren, would not divulge details, and it
does seem a little bit murky, and you know, this
is the world of boxing. Twenty four hours earlier, to
performed his public workout.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And it didn't seem to be any issues there.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
He was giving interviews and then a day later he's gone,
nowhere to be seen.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Wasn't in promotional photos.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
But it's a massive setback for Joe because he's waited
nine years for a second crack at another world title.
He hasn't fought since March. He's put all his preparations
in for this and to have a late change like this,
you know, will be incredibly frustrating.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Rumors around Dubois and why they've made this decision, because
if he is pulling a sickie, there's got to be
an endgame.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Well, I guess the conspiracy theorist in Midas looks to
the undisputed fight on the horizon with Alexander Usik, the
Ukrainian kingpin of the heavyweight division, and the massive payday
that would be for Daniel Dubois, probably in the vicinity
of twenty million dollars. He holds the w the IBF title,
(01:52):
and so Olexander Usik holds all the rest of the
heavyweight belts, so that is a massive fight. Maybe his
promoter and Daniel got together and said, hey, this isn't
worth the risk. But there is also a chance that
he is sick, that he's come down with some form
of illness and is not able to fight. So all
(02:15):
we know is that they're telling everyone he's sick, that
he was being ex tested by a doctor. And now
Joe Parker is still fighting, but on twenty four hours notice,
he's preparing for a new opponent.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
He'd got to be pretty brave to across the Saudi
royal family. So I'm presuming it is reasonably truthful what
he's going through. Let's talk about NICOLEI the guy that
he's fighting. Eddie Hearn said, hey, look he's a big,
scary man. He's got a great record, he's ranked high
right across IBFWO, etc. But he's a chance he's going
to run out of steam. His fitness is not the
(02:48):
greatest and he's been sitting around on the congo, so
he's ripe. When you consider the ability of Joe Parker
to pace his fight, so it might be all right.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, I'm a bit nervous to us. I think Look,
Joe should have the endurance. He's incredible, well prepared in
terms of his body composition. He's going to weigh in
at a career heaviest for this fight. That was always
the plan. He'll be around one hundred and eighteen hundred
and nineteen kg, which should give him more power and
(03:20):
more durability, which he wants against his really heavy hitting opponents.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And mentally he's very.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Confident Parker based on the work he's put in with
any Lee and Ireland. You know, he's waited for this
chance for a long time. But look, Martin McCole is
the most avoided fighter in the heavyweight division.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
They call him the Boogeyman, And in.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
His last fight in August, he absolutely steamrolled a guy
called Jared Anderson, who was a highly touted prospect out
of America, and he flawed him inside five rounds, just
to really underline how just how powerful he is. So
similarly to Dubois, similarly to Johntay Wilder and who Parker
(04:07):
defeated in his last two fights. This is another very
heavy handed guy that Parker will need to be weary
of early on, box and move and then, like you say,
down the stretch, take Bakoli into deep waters, test his fatigue,
and then he could be vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Why would he say yes to a fight like this,
do you think, Liam? Because it does represent a clear
and present danger. We know he's brave, we know he'll
take any fight, it doesn't matter. And here the same
situation when people didn't want to fight him as recently
as a couple of years ago because he was a
dangerous prospect. So why would Parker take a fight like
(04:45):
the song?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I think it's as simple as keeping the card and
checked us that you do not want to get off
sides with the turk Alishik and the Saudi ruling class,
essentially that there's so much money tied up in these
events and they want to keep the card going.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Joseph Parker's here, he's.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Putting all the work, he's ready to fight, and the
promoters want us to go ahead. So look, Joseph has
reputation in recent times is that he duckts no one.
He will take on anyone that comes his way, anyone
that they want to feed him. And so look he's
under contractor fights. He's here and he's ready to go,
(05:31):
and he's I guess what, Above all else, he's proven
again that he's incredibly fearless.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You're over there, Liam, taking a good look. You kind
of only disappeared a matter of a few days ago.
Tell us about her. What's it like Because you're a
foreign journalist, so I expect you're getting fated and treated
like a like a god.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
No, I'm not sure about that, but I wish.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Look, it's an interesting place my first time in the
Middle East.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's in the middle of.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
The desert, obviously, so it's a bit of a uh,
I guess you could say a bit of a contrived world.
Where the press comments was last night, it was in
a place called Boulevard City, which is very strange places,
but like Disneyland, there's a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
There's a cable car and lots of.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Music and eateries, and then you have this press conference
there and then not too far from there you've got
a UNESCO Heritage site where the Saudi ruling family used
to live. And yeah, sort of desert all around, very busy,
a lot of money in this area with oil, so yeah,
(06:44):
just sort of soaking it.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
In and taking your look around.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But it's I guess the money involved in this boxing
event now has certainly changed the game. READD is now
the basically the de facto home of boxing because of
the money the persons involved. We're seeing now the best
fighting the best. So it's very that the boxing landscape
(07:09):
has been turned on it's.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Head in the past couple of years. And in terms
of what we're seeing with.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
The best fighting the best, we haven't seen that for
a long time. And you only have to look at
this card and go through it to see that it's
been called the card of the century. So in terms
of the sport and the fans that they getting great
matchups now.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I love David Higgins. A few years ago. So how
on earth did they make these fights when suddenly they
had all the best boxers in the world. He goes, Oh,
it's quite simple, Darcy. They put everybody around the big table,
put a sack of money in the middle of it
to do what some of this that everybody signed. Well,
it's pretty simple, isn't it. It's on a complex sport
like that.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's the money talks to us.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
And look, if you and I were offered ten million
to get in the ring and pound each other, I
think we'd probably jump at that as well.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It wouldn't last five minutes mate, for either of us.
We'd both get the stitch and collapse. So just at
an lamb napier. What's he pocketing from this? You get
any idea what Joe's going to walk away with.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
I think it's single figures, but you're probably looking at
something in the vicinity of five to seven million, so
it's not a bat payday. But if he gets through this,
then he puts himself right in line for a title shot,
hopefully for Parker's sake, and you're looking to double that purse,
(08:28):
so big, big sums, big figures and the other thing
for Joe is he is putting his WBO Interium title
on the line, so he was set to vacate that
heavy fort Daniel Dubois, but now that fight's not happening
that that title does go on the line this weekend,
So a lot at stake for Joe in terms of
(08:50):
his well right now the purse is involved, but also
his short and long term future in the sport.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
And on Matte, we'll let you get on with it.
Good on you, Thank you very much, Liam Napier. Enjoy
your time over there. Bringing back a souvenir, you know,
like an noveld you had that it'd be fantastic.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Look after yourself, Jeers Dows.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I'll see what I can do and I'll show you
look good in the in the full full Saudi attire.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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