Heavyweight contender Martin Bakole faced almost universal criticism regarding his weight when entering his last two fights, these against Joseph Parker and Efe Ajagba. Bakole was given at least a little bit of a break regarding his excess weight for the Parker fight as he took it on ludicrously short-notice, and was wiped out in a couple of rounds. But Bakole, currently 21-2-1(16) had no business coming in heavy for his next fight, this the draw with Ajagba.

Now, speaking with The Ring, Bakole’s trainer Billy Nelson has said his fighter’s weight must be and will be kept under control. Nelson says Bakole “will fight anybody,” and that he has shown amazing ability in the gym but that when carrying the excess weight he has not been able to perform at his best.

Can Bakole Finally Master His Weight and Reach His Potential?

This will change in the immediate future, Nelson said.

“Unlike Moses Itauma who picks and chooses his opponents, we’ll fight anybody and Turki Alalshikh knows that,” Nelson said. “If you accept a Joseph Parker fight on 36 hours’ notice, obviously your balls are in the right place. It didn’t work out but we’re confident it will going forward, especially after last time out. He’s got to understand it [his weight and diet], otherwise he won’t have the future I know he’s capable of. I’ve seen him do things in the gym that no other fighters do, but with the belly and all, that’s a substandard Bakole performance. He’s so much better than that.”

Who Should Bakole Face When He Gets Back on Track?

Nelson said Bakole was back in the gym “quickly” after the draw with Ajagba, and the trainer said he hopes to fight again in August or September. If he can get his weight under control and come in far lower than the approximately 300 pounds he has scaled for his fights, Bakole could get back on track and be a real handful for any heavyweight out there. But that’s the big question: has Bakole got the discipline needed to fulfil the potential Nelson speaks of?

Only time will tell, but with a heavyweight, one or two impressive wins can mean a fighter is right back knocking on the door for a title shot. It will be interesting to see who Bakole is matched with when he does fight again. And Bakole’s fight weight will prove very interesting indeed.