The highly anticipated bout between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba ended in a contentious majority draw, with many feeling that Ajagba had done enough to secure the win. The pair met in an all-African heavyweight clash on the Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ajagba’s disciplined display off the back foot frustrated Bakole, as he stuck and moved his way through ten rounds.
Bakole, who was once viewed as the boogeyman of the heavyweight division, seemed to be going through the motions in the early stages of the fight. However, he came on strong in the later rounds, trapping Ajagba against the ropes and unleashing a flurry of punches. Despite this late surge, many felt that Ajagba had done enough to win the fight, with the DAZN broadcast having him up by two rounds at the final bell.
The scorecards reflected the controversy surrounding the fight, with one judge scoring it 96-94 in Ajagba’s favor, while the other two judges had it 95-95 even. Esteemed boxing journalist Dan Rafael was quick to express his disappointment with the result, tweeting: “We go to the scorecards in #BakoleAjagba: 96-94 Ajagba, 95-95 x 2. A draw. Laughable. Ajagba won that… #BakoleAjagba goes 10. Easy work for Ajagba. 8-2. Boxed smart, landed plenty, good defense and movement. Bakole as one dimensional as it gets and never landed a big shot. #boxing.”
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson also weighed in on the controversy, posting: “That’s a robbery.” Fans were equally unimpressed, with one supporter writing: “Efe got robbed. Bakole was eating them punches all day.” Another fan echoed this sentiment, saying: “They just robbed Ajagba, he won that fight Bakole’s team might have ruined his career with that Parker move lol.”
The reaction to the fight highlights the divide in opinion on who won the bout. While Bakole’s team may have been satisfied with the draw, many others felt that Ajagba had done enough to secure the win. As the boxing world continues to debate the result, one thing is certain – this fight will have significant implications for both fighters’ careers. Bakole’s stock had already taken a hit after his knockout loss to Joseph Parker in February, and this draw may not have done much to reverse that trend. For Ajagba, the draw may be seen as a missed opportunity to make a statement in the heavyweight division.