27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bakole-Ajagba: Will either fighter join the ranks of great gatekeepers in the heavyweight division?
You never know how well a fighter will deal with a proper punch until they hear the bell for the first time. Likewise, you never know how far they can go until they have been properly tested.
Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba go head-to-head on the undercard of Canelo-Scull this Saturday, May 3, with both fighters in top-10 contention in the IBF's rankings. While a win would further either boxer's career, a loss could spell an end to their hopes of becoming world champions.
As we have seen over the years, boxers unable to win a world title often take up a role of gatekeeper and up becoming a testing ground for other fighters. With the prospect of another being formed this weekend, we have taken a look at some of the most notable gatekeepers over the years in the heavyweight division.
Derek Chisora (36-13)
Some gatekeepers are tasked with testing prospects and newcomers to a division; others separate the contenders from the pretenders. For the best part of the 2010s, Chisora served as a litmus test for potential heavyweight contenders.
Tyson Fury, David Haye, Joseph Parker, Oleksandr Usyk, and Vitali Klitschko are all world champions that have defeated Derek Chisora. Meanwhile, none of the 34 different foes Chisora has vanquished have gone on to earn a title at world level.
Even into his 40s, Chisora is filtering out potential champions with his gruelling battling style and high-pressure approach.
Mariusz Wach (38-12)
Gatekeepers do not enter the sport with hopes of becoming a barometer for other fighters' success. Pole Mariusz Wach had 27 wins in the first seven years of his career, setting up a shot at Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles.
Wach took Klitschko the full distance, but there was little arguing with the Ukrainian's unanimous decision victory. Whilst there were attempts to bounce back, Wach found himself stopped by Alexander Povetkin in 2015, shutting down his chances of contending for world honours.
There are some notable names out of Wach's 12 losses. Jarrell Miller, Martin Bakole, and Dillian Whyte defeated the Pole towards the end of the last decade, whilst rising British prospects Frazer Clarke and Moses Itauma have been victorious over Wach in the past two years.
After harbouring his own ambitions of becoming a world champion, Wach has seen himself become a checkpoint separating hopefuls from contenders in the heavyweight division.
George Chuvalo (73-18-2)
The notion of a gatekeeper has long existed in the sport of boxing. Canadian legend George Chuvalo shared a ring with many of boxing's most famous names during the 1960s and 1970s. He was twice defeated by Muhammad Ali, whilst George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Floyd Paterson all had to get through the Toronto-born man.
A top 10 contender in his own right for many years of his career, Chuvalo would never become world champion – a fate he also denied for other boxers. Contenders such as Jerry Quarry and Doug Jones failed to come through Chuvalo.
Kevin Johnson (36-22-2)
In a 20-year-long career, Kevin Johnson contested 60 bouts, one of which was for a world title. Just like fellow gatekeepers Derek Chisora and Mariusz Wach, Johnson was given a shot at a Klitschko brother after a lengthy unbeaten start to his career.
Vitali Klitschko sent Johnson packing in 2009, defending his WBC title, and whilst Johnson would share the ring with some big names, he would never fight for a strap at the global level again.
Coincidentally, Johnson fought both Chisora and Wach – losing to both fighters. Nowadays, the Russian resident Johnson can sometimes be seen on cards in Eastern Europe, Germany, and Russia, losing on points to up-and-coming fighters.
Losses to Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz, Daniel Dubois, Martin Bakole, Filip Hrgovic, and Kubrat Pulev highlight that whilst Johnson was outclassed by future world champions, he also could be bypassed by title hopefuls that would prove to fall short of securing the biggest belts.
Dorian Darch (12-12-1)
Before a boxer can even think about world title fights, they have to get a few wins under their belts. Facing journeymen with losing records early on in a prospect's career is a common occurrence; but at some point the training wheels have to come off.
Dorian Darch was Britain's choice to test heavyweights coming through the ranks; Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Hughie Fury, and Dave Allen have all defeated the Welshman. Whilst beating Darch is no indication that a fighter will go on to compete at the top of the heavyweight division, it does serve as a milestone for prospects to pass on their evolution to contenders.
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