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Congolese boxer Martin Bakole is accused of receiving $100 from the DRC government for a fight that never happened. What is it really ?
Is boxer Martin Bakole at the head of a large-scale scam operation? WBC International heavyweight champion, he is not unknown to the general public, a fan of noble art. His fights against the Russian Sergey Kuzmin in London and against the Frenchman Tony Yoka in Paris marked the spirits. Especially since Yoka had never lost as a professional before crossing paths with Bakole. So when the Congolese asked for funds from the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for a new fight, he easily got $100.
Problem: the sum was given in cash to the boxer. Another concern, more serious this one: the fight for which Martin Bakole obtained funds would in reality never have been the subject of any promotion. The Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) issued a press release denouncing an act of “money laundering”.
When Bakole announced that he would fight American Michael Hunter in London on March 4, the Congolese government was very reactive. African boxers are rarely professionalized and Bakole is, since his victory against Yoka, a reference that deserves to be helped.
Fight canceled or that never existed?
But when a journalist assures us that “no specialized media nor close to Martin Bakole confirms the fight between the Congolese pugilist and Michael Hunter – for which the government has released 100 USD”, it is amazement. Has the Congolese government been cheated? Hunter denies in any case having been contacted to fight against Bakole and evokes a "lies".
Consequence: Martin Bakole is now accused of "fraud", but also of having lied about his story to obtain the favor of sponsors. "He would have passed himself off in the media and on social networks as a neglected champion who was brooding in Kinshasa, despite his 18 victories in 19 professional fights", summarizes RFI simply.
What attract the sympathy of the Congolese government which would therefore have paid ten times the amount authorized to go out in cash. Bakole must now defend himself in the media to avoid being charged. He assures that Michael Hunter has been downgraded for the fight and that he must find a new opponent. The Congolese boxer now assures anyone who will listen that, too strong, no one wants to fight against him today...