Parker easily KOs Bakole in 2nd round

Joseph Parker made quick work of short-notice replacement Martin Bakole on Saturday.

Parker, the WBO interim heavyweight champion, knocked out Bakole at the 2:17 mark of the second round to retain his title at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Parker dropped Bakole with a right hand that hit the top of his head. Bakole returned to his feet, but his corner stopped the fight.

Bakole agreed to the matchup on two days' notice after Parker's original opponent, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, withdrew from the highly anticipated co-main event due to illness. Bakole arrived in Riyadh less than 24 hours before the bout after a multi-leg journey from his native Congo.

Parker said after the victory that he wants to challenge either Oleksandr Usyk or Dubois for a world championship next.

"Who's next? How about I fight for the world title?" Parker said. "If Usyk wants a dance partner ... I'd like to be champion of the world again.

"I will fight anyone and everyone," he added.

Parker is riding a six-fight winning streak, with three of those victories coming by knockout. The 33-year-old New Zealand native is now 36-3 as a professional.

Bakole falls to 21-2 as a pro. The 29-year-old was coming off a career-best knockout win over Jared Anderson last August. Bakole had a fight scheduled for May before agreeing to face Parker.