Bakole has Scot enough to hit the top

YOU’VE heard of the Last King of Scotland. Meet the new one, at least king of the heavyweights, Martin Bakole, out of Africa, based in Airdrie.

Bakole (above) made it 11 and 0 last week, taking out DL Jones in the first round. It looked like an innocuous punch, part jab, part check left hook. It landed on the temple and that was that.

Jones appeared to have been electrocuted, a thousand volts reducing him to jelly and sending him to the canvas.

Bakole is some talent. He might not look like a fighter, but he moves like one and I would argue he is the most naturally gifted heavyweight on the scene.

Give him a year and he will be ready to challenge for a world title. Fighters like Bakole do not come around too often, and he is proof that you don’t need the body beautiful to prosper in this game.

Think Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon and James Toney, all terrific boxers. Holmes was one of the best heavyweights of all time, Toney brilliant at middleweight.

Bakole came in at 19st 4lbs. That’s too heavy. I would like to see him a stone and a half lighter. Then watch him go.

He has just spent five months in the Congo. It is not easy in that environment, away from the professional game, to keep your discipline.

Over the next year, working with his trainer, Billy Nelson, I would like to see Bakole commit to a programme of strength and conditioning work to give him an edge and enable him to go through the gears more easily.

I know how far this kid can go. I’ve seen him at close quarters, he’s a phenomenon, the best I believe of the emerging crop of heavyweights following in the wake of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

As well as being a brilliant boxer he is a funny fella with a great sense of humour and bags of personality. His English is improving, too, which will give him even more confidence.

I like the look of Daniel Dubois, and Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce is making solid progress, though he does not want any part of Bakole.

At 6ft 6ins he is some specimen, with great co-ordination, unbelievable power and the ability to string combinations together.

Providing he is prepared to put in the work, he can carve out a great career for himself.