Limited action in the boxing world this weekend leads us to turn our attention back to the heavyweights. Such is the wonderful world of the fight game that the Polish heavyweight title is up for grabs this weekend between the seasoned Mariusz Wach and the promising, exciting, Scottish-based Martin Bakole.
In his first scheduled bout since losing his unbeaten record to Michael Hunter last October, Bakole is looking to bounce back in style adding to his eleven wins as a professional; Wach is a formidable opponent to make his return against, with a worry that his team have fed him to the lion’s den following dropping his ‘0’ last autumn.
Wach comes into this bout with a 33-4 record, having sustained losses in his last two fights at the hands of Artur Spilka and Jarrell Miller. Before these back-to-back defeats, Povetkin and Wladimir Klitschko were the only two men to take a W against the Pole, with everyone of his 39-years showing towards the backend of his career.
Martin Bakole to beat Mariusz Wach @ 6/4 (BetVictor)
Bakole to inflict Wach’s third defeat on the spin comes at a fantastic price. The biggest concern is the venue of this fight, but if Bakole can load up on Wach early in the fight, hopefully the judges won’t be needed in Katowice.
Wach – like his names suggests – can whack, but his KO wins have dried up in recent outings. The Viking has won on the cards four times out of his last six victories, however, his durability is to be commended. Wach has looked virtually indestructible through large parts of his career, but in this crossroads encounter, Bakole’s pressure may force him to crack late on.
Wach will be a stationary target for large parts of this fight, and if Bakole can vary his attacks from the head to the body, a breakthrough is possible over the ten scheduled rounds. Bakole’s jab let him down in his only defeat to Hunter, it will be interesting to see if improvements have been made in that area.
Wach’s last two defeats have come to B-level heavyweights, putting him firmly in the C-level camp. Bakole’s ceiling isn’t yet evident, with the youngster still finding his feet in the Land of the Giants. Cyclone are pushing the “African Prince” early in his pro career; it would be nice to see them reap the rewards.
