Jared Anderson Suffers First Defeat Against Martin Bakole: Promoter Explains Matchmaking Concerns
American heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson faced his first career defeat at the hands of divisional powerhouse Martin Bakole, who dominated and stopped him in their recent bout. Following the fight, Anderson’s promoter, Bob Arum, provided insights into why this outcome was not unexpected.
Around 18 months ago, Anderson was considered one of the hottest prospects in the heavyweight division, with many touting him as a future world champion. However, unconvincing decision victories against Charles Martin and Ryad Merhy halted his 100% knockout streak and diminished his momentum ahead of this significant challenge.
On the Crawford-Madrimov undercard in August, Anderson, known as ‘The Real Big Baby,’ faced Congolese-born Martin Bakole in a match where world title opportunities were on the line. From the opening round, Bakole showcased his dominance, dropping the 24-year-old Anderson three times before securing a fifth-round stoppage. This authoritative victory sent a clear message to the heavyweight division.
However, many U.S. boxing writers and commentators viewed Bakole's knockout of Anderson as a surprise. Arum, speaking with Big Fight Weekend, clarified that he and his team had concerns about the matchup and were actually opposed to it.
“I want everybody to know that it wasn’t us. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh went right to the fighter and made this proposal for money that the fighter had never seen before and picked as his opponent, Bakole, who is a tremendous puncher. Jared prepared to deal with a guy who couldn’t move very much but was a great puncher, and he never fought a guy like that. So the fact he got taken apart and knocked out was not surprising,” Arum explained.
Arum emphasized that the matchmaking was not the responsibility of his team: “So don’t put it on my matchmakers. We were against that fight. Again, when they wave money at these kids, they insist on taking it. We could have gone to court to prevent it, but we don’t do those kinds of things. We let the fight go ahead. We made our money from the fight, but we let that fight go ahead, and it was the stupidest fight Jared could have taken.”
As Anderson looks to rebuild his confidence and form before stepping back up in competition, Bakole is now positioned for a shot at heavyweight gold. He has been ordered to face Agit Kabayel in an IBF final eliminator in the coming months, with the victor expected to challenge Daniel Dubois for the world title in 2025.
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