As a Parker fan, I'm wavering

[Sparked_26]

The guy who struggled with Hughie Fury isn't beating AJ. I like Parker but his style falls apart against even half decent opposition. AJ's chin is dodgy and his stamina bad but Parker isn't a power puncher and his cardio isn't amazing or anything. Seeing AJ virtually cast a shadow over him at the weigh-ins cinched it for me. Joshua by late ko.

I dunno what else he could have done with Hughie. Hughie was slippery and always moving away. I think Hughie would do that to AJ and Wilder possibly. Always moving away from the punch he's quite gifted at that I think . Up shot of that is Fury was never set to punch with any authority I think in the end Parker knew that and just barrelled forward.

I'd say I'd like to see Hughie more against quality opposition but I don't think I'd go too far out of my way to watch him. He's going to become the heavyweight Isaac Chilemba

[W1LL]

Joseph Parker didn't win any of those fights. Draws against Takam and Fury and a loss to Ruiz would have been fair.

[Eff Pandas]

Yea I don't think Parker has a great shot at winning this fight...although I think he's got a better chance then the odds say.

But yea this is how I often am overall. The closer a fight gets to happening the more clearer I feel my opinion gets about both guys & when I often start seeing more holes in one guy or more strengths in one of them. Sometimes I have trouble considering a fight til its even announced in a very serious way cuz it seems like such a fantasy thing to discuss. When there is a date on it I feel I can better analyze & consider a fight & each guys chances more optimally.

[M Bison]

Have I been duped by Parker/Barry/Higgins? Is he really at the elite level? I suppose in some respects we're always being duped by professional boxing, but what I mean is this:
- Parker is supposedly the more "skillful" - yet he didn't even qualify for the Olympics, whereas Joshua won gold, having out-competed his fellow countrymen in very tough competition to even qualify, yet alone win the gold against the world's best
- Are Parker's best wins - Takam, Ruiz and Hughie Fury - really all that great? Takam is the only real proven one out of all of them, and he was beaten up by Joshua, even if it was a dodgy stoppage. Ruiz Jr to me looks like a very, very skilful guy, but he hasn't fought since then...and to be honest it's 50/50 whether he beat Parker. Hughie Fury looks like he doesn't have the power to compete in heavyweight boxing.
- Why is Joshua's stamina in question when Parker arguably gased out in the middle rounds against Takam far worse than Joshua did?
- Parker's team have talked about how they were the ones that called out Joshua and wanted the fight - but it's easy to want the fight when you're fighting the cash cow of the division for a multi-million dollar payday.
- It's even easier to call out Joshua when Alexander Povetkin is about to become your mandatory. I'd much rather fight Joshua for millions than fight a dodgy cheat who has enough financial backing that he can consistently get away popping positive for PEDs.

Qualifying for the Olympics doesn't make a better professional fighter ask Audley Harrison, Mike Tyson lost to a guy in the amateurs, but when they met in the pro-ranks Tyson demolished him.
Then we have the whole AJ won a gold medal thing, yeah... he was gifted it, he didn't legitimately beat the guy he was in the final with he had a few very questionable decisions go his way.

This is the same **** they did with Wladimir, those are/were top guys at the time of Parker beating him, in short they're good wins no need to degrade that.

Joshua work-rate is considerably lower than Parkers, Parker was having a hard time against Takam due to the slickness and precision of Takams attacks plus Parker was throwing a lot and missing, it happens...
Considering Parker was also wanting to fight AJ when he wasn't the huge PPV star that he is currently, I'd say that's an unfair thing to say. Everyone in the HW division wants to fight AJ, everyone wants to get paid good obviously that will be a part of it.

This again, really? Look at Povetkin's physique then look at Joshua's physique, who is the real cheater here?
If Povetkin is really going to cheat he would look the part like Clenelo and Roidua that and he'd likely be working with top sport scientists like Joshua does hmmmmm..... No alarm bells ringing yet?
Plus Pedvetkin has had his name cleared and he actually stood up and declared his innocence unlike who... Canelo!

[TheBigLug]

As much as a i like Parker and want him to win, he didn't look that much above Ruiz, Takam and Hughie in levels. Slightly above. I think there's a gulf in class between Joshua and those guys.

That said, i don't think Joshua is really an elite fighter and i don't think it will take an elite fighter to beat him, just a very good one who performs on the night and has a style to trouble him. Is Parker that man? who knows.

I give him a chance purely on the basis that Joshua isn't a special fighter, just a very good heavyweight in today's division who has some vulnerabilities. If Parker is as tough as his team think/say and can work at a pace that Joshua might not like, then anything could happen if he makes it into the later rounds.

Really though, given the levels both guys have shown, you would expect AJ to get the job done.

[M Bison]

Joseph Parker didn't win any of those fights. Draws against Takam and Fury and a loss to Ruiz would have been fair.

He schooled Fury easily, the Takam fight could have been a draw or a very narrow win for Parker because he turned the fight on its head near the last half of the fight.
Hughie Fury needs to find an identity of his own because fighting like Tyson Fury clearly doesn't suit him and that is why he lost the fight he might have put on a better contest if he fought like he usually would.

[M Bison]

The guy who struggled with Hughie Fury isn't beating AJ. I like Parker but his style falls apart against even half decent opposition. AJ's chin is dodgy and his stamina bad but Parker isn't a power puncher and his cardio isn't amazing or anything. Seeing AJ virtually cast a shadow over him at the weigh-ins cinched it for me. Joshua by late ko.

Clearly you weren't watching the fight.

Hughie fought in a tricky manner, but he was massively ineffective whilst doing it. The fight wasn't close at all!

[TheBigLug]

Hughie Fury needs to find an identity of his own because fighting like Tyson Fury clearly doesn't suit him and that is why he lost the fight he might have put on a better contest if he fought like he usually would.

True. I think there's a good fighter in there when it comes to Hughie but he thought he could be Tyson and win a title by doing what Tyson did to Wlad. The difference was that his cousin had the IQ and ability to control the Wlad fight for the most part. Hughie was never really in control of the Parker fight.

Hughie was tricky at times...but that's all he was.

[W1LL]

He schooled Fury easily, the Takam fight could have been a draw or a very narrow win for Parker because he turned the fight on its head near the last half of the fight.
Hughie Fury needs to find an identity of his own because fighting like Tyson Fury clearly doesn't suit him and that is why he lost the fight he might have put on a better contest if he fought like he usually would.

Schooled him? He plodded after him for 12 rounds barely landing a punch? What the fook were you watching? Hughie's low workrate gifted Parker a draw. A win for Parker when he didn't do fook all left me scratching my head. Hughie spoiled all night and made it ugly. It was clear what his plans were, and he executed his gameplan more effectively, but simply didn't let his hands go enough.

[W1LL]

Clearly you weren't watching the fight.

Hughie fought in a tricky manner, but he was massively ineffective whilst doing it. The fight wasn't close at all!

Yea okay, Hughie Fury landed 29 jabs in the entire fight. An average of less than 3 jabs per round. I just watched the opening round on YouTube and counted 11 jabs landed for Hughie. Those PunchStat numbers are a mystery.