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While it boasts a competitive lineup, the fight card of the Ring boxing event, headlined by Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, appears to have hit a major snag. While the DAZN-streamed show billed as “Glory in Giza” saw Dmitry Bivol’s comeback fight rescheduled to a new date, it now faces the specter of heavyweight contender Martin Bakole, who was supposed to feature on the main card, pulling out for unknown reasons.
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It was meant to be Bakole’s comeback. This past May, he drew a tightly contested match against Efe Ajagba that followed a knockout loss to Joseph Parker. On the Usyk-Verhoeven card, he was reportedly set to face contender Guido Vianello, who, it appears, has not taken Bakole’s sudden disappearance lightly.
“🚨 Martin Bakole pulled out of his scheduled May 23 fight against Guido Vianello on the Usyk-Verhoeven card in Egypt at the last minute without explanation,” @NoSmokeBoxing’s X post read. Vianello blasted Bakole on Instagram, saying, “Find your courage again unless you have finished with boxing now” 💔🥊.”
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Two years ago, Bakole caught the boxing world’s attention when he knocked out Jared Anderson, widely viewed as America’s top heavyweight prospect, on the Terence Crawford-Israel Madrimov card. However, a few months later, his attempt to become the WBO interim champion ended in a major setback.
He received praise for accepting the matchup against Joseph Parker, stepping in to replace Daniel Dubois, who had fallen ill. That opportunity, however, led to trouble for Bakole as the Australian stopped in the second round. Later, he struggled to establish control against Ajagba and had to settle for a majority decision draw.
🚨 Martin Bakole pulled out of his scheduled May 23 fight against Guido Vianello on the Usyk-Verhoeven card in Egypt at the last minute without explanation. Vianello blasted Bakole on Instagram saying “find your courage again unless you have finished with boxing now” 💔🥊. pic.twitter.com/uYafP2N93o
— Visit NoSmokeBoxing.com 🥊 (@NoSmokeBoxing) April 7, 2026
Given the timing of recent events, his pullout is difficult to understand. Unsurprisingly, his opponent, Vianello, reacted strongly, criticizing him for his decision.
The case for Martin Bakole vs. Guido Vianello
“My team had agreed (to) all terms for me to fight Martin Bakole on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. I even signed the contract. It would have been an honor to fight for Turki (Alalshikh), Ring Magazine,” the Italian heavyweight wrote. “For some reason he decided to pull out of the fight without any explanation at the very last hour. Not even an excuse from Martin Bakole, BOXXER (Bakole’s promoter), Billy Nelson.”
That said, Vianello confirmed that he is continuing with his training and preparing as planned.
He also noted that he remains open to a fight in July, keeping the Bakole matchup on the table if circumstances change. The Congolese heavyweight still has time to reconsider and step back into the matchup, provided he has not finished with boxing, Vianello suggested.
His frustration is evident. Bakole vs. Vianello looked like a strong matchup.
Coming off a loss to Efe Ajagba, the Italian responded with an eighth-round knockout win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, who incidentally faces Tyson Fury this weekend. However, the upset loss to Richard Torrez last April slowed Vianello’s momentum.
He rebounded a few months later by knocking out Alexis Barriere, capturing the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title.
That run mirrored Bakole’s recent career path and set up a compelling scenario. A win could have improved the winner’s position in the rankings and moved him closer to a potential title opportunity. That outcome will not materialize now.
Further information regarding Martin Bakole’s pullout remains awaited as of this writing.
Written by
Edited by
Gokul Pillai