Ben Shalom Pitches Bakole as Itauma’s Test

Ben Shalom thinks he has that fighter. Martin Bakole spent years as the opponent nobody wanted, the guy who could wreck a rising contender without bringing much back. Then Joseph Parker stopped him in two rounds. That was 2024. Since then, Bakole has been offered fights but has not taken them.

“It’s been frustrating for us,” Shalom told Boxing Online. “We fought Parker, Efe Ajagba, were offered Filip Hrgovic in August, had the opportunity to fight Moses. Again, Martin will take anything, but people around him have to accept the fights as well.”

What Bakole Actually Delivers

Bakole is 34 years old. He has been knocked out twice. His best wins came when he was in his late twenties, stopping Carlos Takam and Tony Yoka. Those were solid results, but neither man was impressive by the time Bakole beat them.

Shalom says Bakole can beat anyone on his day. That qualifier is what trainers say when a fighter has ability but does not apply it consistently. “I do believe he has the talent to be the best heavyweight in the world, but has he prepared in the way that he [should have done] for the last couple of fights? No,” Shalom admitted.

Itauma is 21 years old and undefeated. He is being built carefully, but carefully has limits. At some point, his team must choose between safe names and dangerous fighters. Bakole sits in the middle: experienced enough to sound legitimate, inactive enough that the risk feels manageable.

For Bakole, the fight offers a way back without needing to prove he belongs there first. “I like the Moses fight. I think he can beat Moses. I think he can beat anyone on his day,” Shalom said.

Bakole has not fought since Parker. The longer that gap stretches, the less his name means.