Rising heavyweight contender Martin Bakole has ripped into Anthony Joshua, challenged him to a boxing fight, and said he “should feel ashamed of himself” in a new video he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Bakole put together one of the sport’s best wins in 2024 when he bruised, battered, and beat American heavyweight hope Jared Anderson in a one-sided demolition job in August. The fight was in the middle of Riyadh Season’s debut in the United States, and it has since been suggested that Bakole is now deserving of a bigger name opponent, on a more prominent spot on a big fight card.
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Now, Bakole appears to be making Joshua the desired big-name opponent for his next breakout fight.
| Martin Bakole & Anthony Joshua’s pro records (as of 08/01/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Martin Bakole | Anthony Joshua | |
| Fights | 22 | 32 |
| Wins | 21 | 28 |
| Losses | 1 | 4 |
| Draws | 0 | 0 |
Bakole’s beef with Joshua all began because the former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion said he tipped Efe Ajagba, who Bakole is linked with fighting in the coming months, to triumph in their prospective bout. It’s a prediction Bakole took umbrage with.
“Hey, Anthony Joshua this video is for you,” Bakole began his video. “I called [you] out, I wanted to knock you out, and now you’re saying Ajagba is going to beat me. Shame on you.”
“How many times did I call you out? How many times did I ask you to fight in Africa? You should feel ashamed of yourself.”
Bakole said: “I want to fight you.”
He then referenced a potential difference between them, regarding Daniel Dubois, who eviscerated Joshua in a beatdown for the ages last year. Dubois, Bakole says, is someone whom he scored significant damage over when they sparred in training.
“Look at Daniel Dubois – I broke his nose twice [in sparring] and he knocked you out cold,” Bakole said.
“I will knock you out in the first round.”
“You’re talking about Ajagba? Ajagba is a baby, wait till you see how I’m going to knock him out.”
Joshua is yet to respond.
Joshua wasn’t the only fighter to attract Bakole’s ire as, in a YouTube video on iFL TV, he pointed to other heavyweight contenders — Zhilei Zhang and Agib Kabayel — who he believes have avoided fighting him, to take on other bouts.
“I was supposed to fight Big Zhang or Kabayel,” Bakole told the channel. “I’m not surprised they’re scared, or fighting each other, in Rihyadh Season. So now I have Ajagba [in March or April].”
