Martin Bakole has been out of the ring since drawing with Efe Ajagba in May 2025. It now appears he will remain inactive beyond the one-year mark.

Once considered the bogeyman of the heavyweight division, buoyed by claims of punishing the top dogs in sparring, Bakole announced himself on the big stage when he halted Carlos Takam and then top prospect Jared Anderson on Riyadh Season shows.

A last minute decision to step in and face Joseph Parker on a few days’ notice when Daniel Dubois pulled out the fight with injury did not pay off, as the towering heavyweight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was stopped inside two rounds. Since then, attention has turned to how he will bounce back, and against whom.

That opportunity looked set to come against top contender Guido Vianello, but the Italian heavyweight, who has trained alongside Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker, took to Instagram to announce that Bakole has pulled out.

“My team had agreed all terms for me to fight Martin Bakole on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. I even signed the contract. It would have been an honour to fight for Turki [Alalshikh and] Ring Magazine.

“For some reason, [Martin] decided to pull out of the fight without any explanation at the very last hour. Not even an excuse from Martin Bakole, BOXXER [or] Billy Nelson.

“I’m still in the gym this morning, doing my part. July sounds like a good time to find your courage again unless you have finished with boxing now.”

Vianello fought twice last year, losing to rising US star Richard Torrez Jr before bouncing back with a win over Alexis Barriere. He also boasts a win over Fury’s upcoming opponent, Arslanbek Makhmudov.

It seems a well-matched fight for both men, with the winner then deserving a step up in levels. However, with the May 23 Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven card now announced in full, it appears the opportunity has now been missed. Bakole, his promoter or trainer are yet to comment on the matter.