Leading boxing experts are already writing off boxer Joseph Parker’s chances in the biggest fight of his life against Nigeria-born British world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua.
One of the leading questions many analysts have been asking prior to the big fight is, ‘Can the South Auckland underdog, Parker, triumph over Joshua?’
As a kicker, Parker has secured a dream bout against Joshua in Cardiff on March 31 and from all indications, it will be by far the biggest test of the South Aucklander’s career.
But Parker, who is himself the World Boxing Association champion, is unfavoured by international experts.
The Ring magazine has called Joshua the clear favourite, while Joshua’s promoter has admitted they are already assessing possible future opponents.
Parker was mocked by television host Graham Norton recently for his bulky frame. “He must be a world-class athlete, but he doesn’t look like one, does he?” Norton said.
Parker was dubbed the ‘King of Pies’ and according New Zealand’s leading fight sports analyst he said:
“Contrary to popular belief, I think style-wise Parker matches up quite well here. Parker has always done well against taller opponents thanks to his fast hands.
“Joshua is clearly the bigger man and will outweigh Parker by probably 5-7kg and is very, very long, while Joe’s reach is not particularly long for a heavyweight. So Parker is going to have to work well on the inside, know his range well and move his head more than he has done in previous fights. Parker’s conditioning is questionable at this point, too. He has faded in late rounds.
“But it is an intriguing fight. Parker has the better chin of the two and has faster hands. Joshua is clearly the more powerful man. I would rate Parker’s chances at 40 percent, but it’s definitely a fight he can win if he prepares well.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Joshua’s chin. I think he does stand very upright and his chin can be exposed at times, particularly to the left hook, but Parker’s better punch is his right so he’s really going to have to work at getting some length to his left.”
In his reaction to the fight, retired New Zealand boxer and Commonwealth Games medallist, Shane Cameron, believes the fight between the duo is going to be tough for Parker considering that Joshua is definitely the man in the heavyweight division – 20 wins by 20 knockouts which speaks for itself.
“It’s going to come down to how strong Parker is mentally. I’m friends with him so I’d better be careful what I say, but he hasn’t really performed at his best lately, not like his early days where he would get someone on the ropes and keep going until the fight was over. He’s been too cautious his past half-a-dozen fights. He can’t be cautious against Joshua.
“Credit to Parker’s team for getting this shot, it’s obviously a massive payday but he needs to put that thought aside and back himself completely. For Parker to win the fight, he needs to utilise his best asset, which is his speed. He certainly doesn’t have the power of Joshua. He needs to get in there fast and then move out of the firing zone and Joshua’s big range. He needs to rack up those scoring shots.
“If Parker’s trying to get inside and muscle around with a big guy like that, it’s not going to work. He needs to be smart. But in saying that, everyone is beatable. It doesn’t matter who you are. Not many fighters stay undefeated their whole career,” he said.
For Grant Arkell, Parker’s first boxing coach he expressed delight in seeing him take on ‘mighty’ Joshua.
“I’m very proud to see Parker taking this fight. A lot of people are saying Parker’s fighting someone like Joshua too early, but I don’t think he’s got anything to lose. As long as he doesn’t get beaten in the first couple of rounds, he’ll still get a few good paydays and another shot further down the track.
“Everybody at the gym (Papatoetoe Boxing Gym) is excited and we’ll definitely all get together to watch it.
“One of the most important things for me is that Parker needs to have a clear plan – that’s something that has appeared to be missing in his previous fights.
“I give Parker a good 45 percent chance. His last few fights weren’t that spectacular, but they were against guys who didn’t come to fight, but hit and run. You couldn’t really judge Parker’s progression.
“Joshua can punch – he’s a strong boy – but only if you stand in front of him. Parker needs to move more as he’s got the speed. A lot of Joshua’s past opponents haven’t moved.
“If Parker can keep punching and moving and keep scoring points it will frustrate Joshua. It will wear him down. Then Parker only has to watch out for those big bombs. If he’s going to win, it will probably be on points,” he stated with great optimism.
Retired New Zealand boxer and Commonwealth medallist, Lance Revill, is of the opinion that Parker is not ready for the fight.
“I think the only way he can win is if Joshua gets complacent and doesn’t take Parker seriously enough.
“There’s been talk about Joshua’s ‘glass jaw’, but I don’t necessarily see it. A fighter can get knocked down, it’s only when they stay down that you say they’ve got a ‘glass jaw’. Parker’s got a good chin on him, I’ve got to give him that, and it will take him a long way.
“I think Parker needs to trim down to the lightest he’s ever been. When he’s heavy, he fights poorly and sluggish. If he can come in 103/104 kg, we could see a good fight. Otherwise, he’s going to get knocked out.
“Parker isn’t a thunderous, one-punch knockout puncher like a George Foreman or Ken Norton, so he really needs to concentrate on training really hard. The problem is I don’t think he can win on points, even though that might be his tactic, because the fight’s in the UK and will have local judges,” he stressed with a tinge of regret that Parker may have met his waterloo in Joshua.
But United States boxing commentator, Bob Sheridan, who has broadcast more than 10,000 fights including ‘The Rumble in the jungle’ and Tyson versus Holyfield rematch is optimistic that Parker has a chance in the fight.
“I absolutely think Parker has a chance. I thought he might have another fight before taking this one, but it’s the logical progression for him to fight the guy.
“In his last fight, Parker had to do a lot of chasing, but Anthony Joshua is coming to knock him out. Parker is going to have to keep him off him with his jab and hope he can land something big and powerful early.
“I don’t think Parker needs to get his weight down. I think he has grown into his body and hasn’t lost his speed. He’s much thicker in the chest but has kept his arms like Muhammad Ali – not big and bulky like Joshua’s. In later rounds, big arms don’t help.
“I know Parker has never been down and Joshua has, but I actually have a lot of respect for guys who have gotten knocked down and come back to win. I think that shows a hell of a lot of toughness. We’ll have to see how Parker can handle getting knocked down.”
“If Parker wins, especially considering the part of the world he’s in, I think it will have to come by knockout. If they’ve got a British referee and depending on what refs they have, that could be a significant aspect of the fight,” he concluded.
From the foregoing, it is obvious that Joshua has a date to keep with history and knocking out Parker come March 31 will definitely reconfirm his prowess in the pugilist trade and once again prove that Nigeria is truly a country that breeds world champs even in Diaspora!
