Cameron Hogwood gives his lowdown on the big fight between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker and runs through a few possible wagers.
The strobe lights of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will pave the way for Anthony Joshua on Saturday night in the latest instalment of his surge towards undisputed heavyweight dominance.
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Joseph Parker may not flaunt the pedigree or reputation that Wladimir Klitschko did last April, but the prospect of unification makes him an equally defining opponent for Britain’s boxing icon.
New Zealand’s beloved owner of the WBO belt enters the contest as something of an unknown quantity for Joshua, with his admirable undefeated 24-0 record having failed to showcase any prevailing signs of danger for the IBF, WBA (Super) and IBO heavyweight champion.
Nonetheless, it's Parker’s untapped potential that has stopped Joshua from thinking beyond this weekend’s bout.
This heavyweight division is in need of one outright champion to lead the way, and the chance to claim that reputation with a subsequent meeting with WBC champion Deontay Wilder beckons.
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“Let’s say I’ve got £20 in my pocket…”
Recent history suggests it would be illogical to rule out Joshua punishing his opponent with a pounding knock-out finish.
The Londoner himself said in Tuesday’s press conference that if he had £20 sitting in his pocket he would bet on himself putting Parker to the canvas without reply. Who are we to doubt the man boasting 20 KO victories out of 20 professional fights?
Carlos Takam’s stern resistance in October 2017 meant Joshua’s breakthrough didn’t arrive until round 10, giving Parker a platform from which to build on in regards to taking the fight to the latter stages.
This in mind, Joshua to win by KO/TKO in rounds 9 or 12 is an interesting option at 7/2.
The power behind Joshua’s jab has persisted as a nuisance to his previous opponents and will likely be exploited in aid of wearing down a durable Parker.
Whilst his reach equips him to capitalise on the space exposed by his firm left hand, Joshua has similarly proven he can scrap on the inside courtesy of his fierce uppercut.
Parker’s physicality is sure to demand this mixture of Joshua’s technical arsenal and, combined with his supposedly improved fitness, makes him a capable contender of being the first to take the Olympic gold medallist the distance.
Having won his last three fights on points decisions, the 26-year-old’s best approach could be putting Joshua’s stamina to the test and testing the full array of his skills.
Can Parker hurt AJ?
At first glance, Parker threatens few signs of being able to match Joshua’s sheer brute strength and power.
Any encouragement taken by Parker’s camp from a less explosive Joshua against Takam is likely to be misguiding.
10 days notice after Kubrat Pulev’s withdrawal offered little time to re-adjust and yet Joshua still asserted an obvious superiority against a man Parker himself struggled to finish against in May 2016.
Similarly, he looked sluggish in his May 2017 title defence against Răzvan Cojanu, trudging to an uninspiring unanimous points decision.
Parker is a clear outsider at 16/1 to win by decision/technical decision.
Undeniable quick feet and hand speed mark standout traits for the Kiwi to put his faith in, although his unconvincing defence serves as a major concern.
Any fighter keen to overcome Joshua has to be prepared to come under sustained punishment at some point during the fight. As tough as Parker may be, Joshua’s will provide a much tougher test altogether.
Joshua’s success hasn’t comes without showing a few vulnerabilities and Parker must look to take advantage of those if he is to have any chance.
Klitschko had the skill and power to expose the 28-year-old’s tendency to leave his jaw open. The bad news for Parker, even if he can breach Joshua’s defence, is the latter's proven resilience under pressure – evidenced in both fiery contests against Dillian Whyte and Dr. Steelhammer.
A proven swift uppercut is Parker’s best route to his counterpart, but landing that shot could well mean receiving worse in retaliation.
Behind the promotion and marketing that has tried to level the playing field somewhat, another brutal performance Joshua is most definitely on the cards.
Joshua is 16/1 to replicate his 11th round victory against Klitschko on March 31.