Martin Bakole vs Jared ‘The Real Big Baby’ Anderson: Who Wins?

Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season hits Los Angeles this Saturday with Terence Crawford attempting to become a four-weight world champion against WBA super welterweight title holder Israil Madrimov.

On the stacked undercard, American heavyweight Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) will square off with Scottish-based Congolese Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs). Sean Gibbons, the advisor to Isaac Cruz and Andy Ruiz, who will also appear on the show, stated, “Anderson is jumping in there with a real guy” and “It’s an incredible fight.”

The 24-year-old Anderson from Toledo, Ohio, had received an abundance of praise as he produced a 14-fight knockout streak. Wide decision victories over Charles Martin and Ryad Merhy, coupled with a brush against the law, have calmed the fear of facing Anderson. A tough fifth round against Martin saw social media begin to lose faith. However, despite the unfavorable media attention and the slowdown in the knockout ratio, Anderson comes in as the favorite, according to the bookmakers at DraftKings SportsBook.

Bakole’s more recent form is a little more devastating, with knockout victories over Carlos Takam and Ihor Shevadzutskiy, both on foreign soil. A lone career loss to Michael Hunter over five years ago forced Bakole to take bigger risks with his career, becoming an opponent for Olympic Gold medalist Tony Yoka in Paris. Considered the underdog by many, Bakole produced a dominating display over Yoka to begin a period of downfall for the Frenchman.

Eddie Hearn stated to the media that Anderson-Bakole “is a 50/50 fight.” I couldn’t agree more. The favorable odds alongside the experience have me taking a slight lean towards Bakole, but it’s a tough one to call as we have little idea how much the fledgling American has improved in this camp. If he is to have a similar round five to that with Martin, Bakole will likely be more devastating as he is expected to be at least 15 to 20 pounds heavier. Bakole came in injured against Takam but still produced an on-the-ropes fourth-round stoppage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last October. His profile is some way behind his ability—hats off to Anderson for stepping up the opposition when such fanfare surrounds him.

A win for either man sends them into the Saudi-paid heavyweight round-robin that has seen the best of the division collide consistently. Both men will be fighting to earn another career-high payday. It tends to bring the best out of the fighters that have been involved so far in the Riyadh Season events. Many have suggested that this one does not go the distance. However, both men are very capable boxers and have been seen to manage the distance well. I’m expecting to see the full ten rounds. Anderson showed against Martin he can handle difficult periods, and his chin can hold up. Questions were certainly answered.

Bakole will demand more questions to be answered. He could nick it on the cards, but it will be close either way. I don’t see an all-out war; I see a close fight in which Anderson will face adversity. Anderson should win on natural ability, but we don’t know how much of that ability will be seen in Los Angeles.

Martin Bakole vs Jared Anderson Betting Odds

Per DraftKings SportsBook, Jared Anderson is the favorite at -190, and Martin Bakole is the underdog at +155.

Jared Anderson: TKO/KO +175; Decision +200

Draw: +1600

Martin Bakole: TKO/KO +220; Decision +900

Looking to bet on Martin Bakole vs. Jared Anderson this upcoming weekend? Head over to my dedicated page at signupexpert.com/fightsATW to sign up to some of boxing’s best sportsbooks. Right now DraftKings Sportsbook is offering Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets to new users. Already have DraftKings Sportsbook? No problem, you can sign up to any sportsbook in your region through the link in the description!

Adam Noble-Forcey

Adam is a regular contributor to FightsATW and serves as the Online Editor for Germany’s longest-running boxing publication, BoxSport Magazin. He has covered the sport for over a decade, contributing to leading platforms including BoxingScene, Seconds Out, Boxing Social, and Pro Boxing Fans. In addition to his written work, Adam is a lead boxing commentator across Europe, calling fights in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Latvia, Albania, and the United Kingdom.

See author's posts