Fabio Wardley Leads Parker, Makhmudov, and Bakole KO Victories
British/Commonwealth heavyweight titlist Fabio Wardley (17-0, 16KO) took away the undefeated record of David “Big D” Adeleye (12-1, 11KO).
The build-up to the fight saw both men get into a brawl at the press conference as tensions were high. Wardley took control of the fight right away with different variations of the jab that put Adeleye on the back foot.
He fought with discipline, poise, and stuck to the game plan in beating Adeleye to the punch by setting traps. It was a beautiful display of power boxing from Wardley, who was attacking the body and landing thunderous overhand rights.
Big D tried to make it a rough fight by using elbows and forearms in the clinches to land a left hook. He even landed good jabs in the middle rounds.
In round seven, Wardley landed a beautiful combination that sent Adeleye crashing to the canvas before narrowly beating the count. The British champion went for broke and pummeled the challenger before the referee stopped the fight.
After scoring the satisfying victory, Wardley expressed interest in taking on another domestic heavyweight, Frazier Clarke, during the post-fight press conference.
JOSEPH PARKER CRUSHES SIMON KEAN
Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (33-3, 23KOs) kept dreams of recapturing a title alive with a knockout victory over Simon Kean (23-2, 22KO).
Ranked #6 by the WBO, IBF, and #10 WBC, Parker was very aggressive from the opening bell by working well off the front foot and fighting behind the jab. The Aussie started going to the body early and found a home for the right hand.
In round three, the former champion landed a brutal right uppercut that short-circuited the legs of Kean, who went down to the canvas. The referee administered the full ten count, which gave Parker another statement-making victory.
The heavyweight division has always had the theme of “one punch can change the fight”. Honestly, Parker beat another unknown heavyweight in Kean, who has power but never fought anyone of noteworthy.
Parker should look to fight ranked heavyweight Martin Bakole, who scored a sensational knockout over a familiar foe in Carlos Takam.
That would be a great fight as a victory would see Parker take Bakole’s #2 WBA ranking, which would put him within an eyeshot of a championship title bout.
ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV DESTROYS JUNIOR ANTHONY WRIGHT
If you moved from your seat and heard a roar from the crowd, that is because Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17KO) laid waste to unknown Junior Anthony Wright (20-5-1, 17KO) in the first round.
Arslanbek came out on a seek-and-destroy mission as he sent Wright to the canvas with a hard, pull-counter left hand on the chin followed by a right hook. He kept up the attack when Wright got up by landing even harder right hands in the corner, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
The Russian is on the brink of a title fight, ranked #3 WBC, #5 WBA, #10 IBF, and #13 WBO. Now, looking down the line, he should attempt to fight fellow stablemate and ranked heavyweight Jared Anderson.
The heavyweight division is tied up waiting on the undisputed showdown featuring unified champion Oleksandr Usyk versus WBC champion Tyson Fury. With Makhmudov and Anderson under the same banner, this fight should be a top priority for 2024.
MARTIN BAKOLE BOMBS AWAY CARLOS TAKAM
The first two rounds of this prizefight consisted of essentially nothing but heavyweight Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KO’s) tossing jabs at a largely unresponsive Carlos Takam (40-8-1, 28 KO’s). That would change in the third round when both men finally opened up and threw bombs with regularity. During the exchanges, both enjoyed success but the round concluded with Takam appearing to be on the short end of the stick.
At the top of the fourth period, Takam was significantly hurt by a piercing left hook to the body. The powerful shot was closely trailed by another bruising blow but the final curtain call came in the form of a thumping right hand to the head. The final strike was all that referee Lee Every needed to see before jumping in to halt the action. With the TKO, Takam has been thrust back into the loss column as the 42-year-old fighter is now 1-3 in his last four matches. It will be interesting to see how Bakole, ranked #2 (WBA), #9 (WBC) and #12 (IBF), can flip this win into a bigger opportunity.
