Time for Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole to prove if the hype is real

Two men on the outside looking in get their big chance on the big stage

Jared 'The Real Big Baby' Anderson, 17-0-0 (15KO) has been widely considered the most exciting prospect in the Heavyweight division for the past couple of years, providing a much-needed beacon of hope for a dwindling American heavyweight landscape.

This reputation has been forged through a string of destructive performances when bursting onto the scene, making mince meat of supposed stern tests in seasoned veteran Jerry Forrest and the unbeaten George Arias, demonstrating a rare fusion of size, power, speed, shot repertoire and technique that the US has been unable to produce in years.

In two of his last three showings however, we have witnessed two more workmanlike performances in ten round decision wins over former IBF ruler turned gatekeeper Charles Martin, and most recently, the admittedly extremely negative European champion Ryad Merhy.

In light of these more uninspiring showings, the hype has subdued a touch, with the unbeaten Americans team clearly feeling the time is ripe for a substantial step up to remind the US public and global boxing scene of the future star they have on their hands. On Saturday night, on the huge Riyadh season US card, they will get their wish. In the opposing corner, will stand the 6ft 6 inch, circa 280lb Congan behemoth, Martin Bakole, 20-1-0 (15KO).

Though largely unknown to the US audience he will do battle in front of come Saturday night, Bakole has a far more formidable reputation in the UK. Since 2016 he has been based out of Scotland under the tutelage of veteran trainer Billy Nelson, who since this point has been making no secret of his proclamations that he feels Bakole is the best heavyweight on the planet.

Under the lights, Bakole has yet to quite live up to this billing, however has still been making a steady name for himself. Thus far he has suffered just one professional blemish, being stopped in the tenth after suffering a significant shoulder injury against the solid American contender Michael Hunter back in 2018. Since then he has built up a respectable resume over fringe level operators such as Sergey Kuzmin, Tony Yoka and Carlos Takam.

It is perhaps away from his in the ring performances however, where the Bakole hype train has really kicked into gear, with a multitude of sparring stories surfacing in recent years of the 32-year-olds exploits, supposedly wiping the floor with the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

Of course, sparring is not at all a direct indication of how a genuine competitive bout would play out, yet rumours still prove highly useful in helping boost a fighters reputation. When looking at Bakole’s physical attributes, one can certainly envision how such sparring sessions may have transpired, being blessed with a huge frame and physical strength to rival any heavyweight in the division, as well as knockout power, thus far a solid chin, defence, deceptively quick hands and rapid combination punching.

Just as Jared Anderson is ready for a big fight, Bakole himself has been calling for the leading lights at Heavyweight to face him for a number of years. Hindered perhaps by a lack of UK fan base and therefore commercial draw, big domestic names and former sparring partners such as Anthony Joshua, DIllian Whyte and Daniel Dubois have so far persisted to look the other way. Is this a sign that those sparring stories do carry some weight?

Such has been Bakole’s avoidance by the top names based this side of the pond, one does wonder if Anderson’s team have made a naive and uninformed decision to sling him in with the gifted Congan, perhaps placing too much weight on his defeat to Anderson's countryman Michael Hunter some six years ago. It may well be that they are well aware of Bakole’s rumoured ability and simply believe that 'The Real Big Baby's' superiority is such that he will emerge victorious regardless. Or could it infact be that the performance against Hunter was infact representative of how Bakole truly fights under the lights, being one of those fighters cursed with not being able to translate their work in the gym to the defining moment?

There are many fascinating questions that this exceptional matchup should answer, bringing together two huge, athletic and hard hitting avoided heavyweight contenders, desperate to force their way into the mainstream picture. For both Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole, come the end of what promises to be a brutal war on Saturday night at the BMO Stadium, we will know if either man is the real deal.