Joseph Parker took just two rounds to knock out Martin Bakole, a top-tier heavyweight who came in at the shortest possible notice to replace Daniel Dubois, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

Bakole was attempting a feat that was surely without precedent in the sport. When Daniel Dubois, the IBF world champion, fell ill just two days before he was due to fight Parker, Bakole decided to replace him.

Travelling from Kinshasa in the DR Congo, Bakole landed in Riyadh in the early hours of Saturday morning to take on Parker, another world-ranked heavyweight, later that night for the latter’s WBO Interim title.

Parker jabbed diligently at the 310lb behemoth. But Bakole cuffed him with a hard right just before the end of the first round.

The two tapped gloves respectfully and then Bakole allowed himself a brief moment of celebration. He liked his start.

Fighting in gloves borrowed from Dubois, Bakole marched after Parker in the second round.

There were hints of danger from Bakole as he heaved punches at the body, then the head.

Bakole demonstrably shook off the New Zealander’s cross and came for him.

But Parker then bowled over his right. It clipped Bakole high on the head. That robbed him of his balance, his legs shivered out from under him and Bakole toppled over.

Bakole used the ropes to heave himself upright, but the referee would not let him continue, ruling him out at 2:17 of the second round.

“Martin Bakole, thank you for accepting the challenge of flying all the way here on short notice and giving me a good fight,” Parker said afterwards.

“I stayed calm, structured, composed and got the victory.

“I’m fit, strong, healthy and sharp. Andy Lee broke it down for me, I had to be patient.”

The WBO Interim belt means he should be the mandatory challenger for their world title, held by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“How can I fight for the world title next?” he declared. “If Usyk wants a dance partner. I want to fight for a world title, I want to be champion of the world again.”

Gallant Padley beaten down

Shakur Stevenson defeated Josh Padley after three knockdowns in the ninth round forced the Briton’s corner to throw in the towel and pull him out in the break.

But taking the WBC lightweight world champion that deep into the fight is its own kind of triumph for Padley.

On Tuesday the Doncaster electrician was going about his day job. Little did he realise that in a few hours he’d get the opportunity of a lifetime to step in at short notice to replace the sick Floyd Schofield and challenge Stevenson at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

Beating Stevenson is a monumental task for anyone, let alone a fighter who’d never competed at that sort of level before. Stevenson, an elite champion, had already won world titles in three weight classes and is in his prime.

A fast, slick southpaw, the American star took the measure of Padley in the opening round. He quickly closed the distance between them in the second and clipped the plucky challenger.

Padley took the hits and manfully swung back when he could. But there was a gulf in speed as well as skill.

Stevenson picked out more clean shots in the third round. He closed it out with a hard straight one-two and Padley had to shuffle his feet beneath him as he tried to keep his composure.

A cruel backhand left whipped to the body in the fifth round sapped Padley’s reserves.

Stevenson began to tee off on him in the sixth round, cracking Padley with hooks and lancing in a long lead right. He set about him further. But Padley heaved him round in a clinch and cuffed hooks at the champion, defiant still.

So often when it looked like the challenger was about to unravel, he’d find a way to fight back or hang in there.

But eventually Stevenson broke through. Even though Padley thumped the canvas in frustration when he went down, body shots crumpled him to the canvas three times.

His corner pulled him out, beaten but a fighter who should be rightly proud too.

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