DRC: questions around boxer Martin Bakole and a $100,000 fight

Congolese boxer Martin Bakole during his victory over Frenchman Tony Yoka on May 14, 2022 in Paris.

AFP - FRANCK FIFE

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Congolese boxer Martin Bakole, who inflicted on French Olympic champion Tony Yoka his first defeat among the pros in May 2022, is at the heart of a lively controversy after receiving 100,000 US dollars from the government of his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This large sum was given to him for preparations for an alleged fight that no one seems to know about.

Advertisement

Read more

With our correspondent in Kinshasa,

The controversy started with a photo released by the Ministry of Sports, Wednesday, February 15: we see

pocketing several bundles of tickets.

It's worth 100,000 US dollars in total.

A large sum that questions, because the law limits the amount of cash transactions to less than 10,000 US dollars.

The Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) immediately denounced, in a press release, an act of money laundering.

This amount was however supposed to allow the heavyweight boxer to prepare a fight that he himself had announced, against the American Michael Hunter, in London, on March 4.

#RDC🇨🇩: No specialized media or close to Martin Bakole confirms the fight of the Congolese pugilist and Michael Hunter - for which the government released 100,000 USD on Tuesday.

The beneficiary flew to London on Wednesday.

pic.twitter.com/kzhJMY9shB

— Pascal Mulegwa (@pascal_mulegwa) February 16, 2023

The controversy further swelled when several media announced that the fight was illusory.

Michael Hunter, the only man to have beaten Martin Bakole on the pro rings in October 2018, by stoppage of the referee, himself denied the holding of this new fight.

“ 

 ,” he tweeted.

Lies!!!

@boxxer I would gladly KO @MartinBakole01 again.

pic.twitter.com/zuX12SeLai

— Michael Hunter II (@MichaelHunterII) February 16, 2023

Martin Bakole is accused of "fraud", especially since to urgently obtain the funds, he posed in the media and on social networks as a neglected champion who brooded in Kinshasa, despite his 18 victories in 19 professional fights.

The fighter thus attracted the sympathy of the authorities and patrons before making headlines.

The Congolese boxer reappeared this Thursday, February 16 on the Web to defend himself.

He claimed his opponent, Michael Hunter, has been downgraded for the fight, and he is now expecting another challenger for the same March 4 date.

Martin Bakole claims boxers have been avoiding him since his victory over French champion Tony Yoka.

Martin Bakole: "Jokes aside, apart from the fight, you think I don't deserve the 100,000 USD from the government?, Am I not the pride of my country?, I had never eaten a only round (10 FC) of the government since the beginning of my career "#RDC🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/P8neVqaeSd

— Pascal Mulegwa (@pascal_mulegwa) February 16, 2023

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

• Sports

• Boxing

• ground floor