The biggest Heavyweight fight of the year is only a few weeks away. And with it, the two boxers are upping up their preparation for the big day. Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker, two undefeated boxers, are going to face each other in Cardiff on March 31.
But this isn’t only a fight between the two, as the Aussie sought the help of fellow boxer Deontay Wilder. Obviously, Wilder won’t make it a two-on-one matchup. Instead, he’ll just sit ringside, waiting to see how his tips will turn out.
Interestingly, it’s not a fully convicted showcase of moral support. Instead, he starts out his statement saying that he wishes Joseph Parker to lose so that he’ll get to face Anthony Joshua next time. Despite this, Wilder adds that he still wishes Parker the best.
Wilder’s inner professionalism also showed up after he gave Parker a few handy tips. Parker observed that Joshua is lugging around lots of muscle weight. This shouldn’t be tolerated as it will slow him down inside the ring.
What he wants Parker to do is to do his best to stay flexible. It’s his flexibility that’ll lead him to victory, he says. Wilder also adds that Parker needs to use his head while moving, and while doing so, should embark on a barrage of punches targeting AJ.
A lot could be said about Joshua’s previous fights. One of which is his dependence on audience impact. Sounds funny, but that’s the reality. Unfortunately, even that is a double-sided coin. What’s good about it is that the audience can boost Joshua’s confidence, and in the process, improve his performance.
On the other hand, the loud screams can also gas him out as it’ll require more effort from him to please the hyped up crowd. Because of this, Wilder wants Parker to always be on the move. Staying stiff and stationary would only cause his demise.
Wilder says that if he manages to do that, then there’s no doubt that he can open up AJ’s many weaknesses. The 32-year-old’s advice is standing on firm ground as he’s seen how Parker fought Carlos Takam.
The Olympic bronze-medalist knows that Parker’s height disadvantage is indeed a speed advantage for him. This would mean he’ll be more agile and flexible, and this could cause Joshua to lose his footing and make him vulnerable to attacks in the long run.
But AJ is a different boxer. Not only it because he’s got a massive 6-foot-6 height, but he’s also one of the sturdiest Heavyweights to date. Thus, Parker needs also to use some unorthodox moves if he wants to topple the giant down.
The Heavyweight matchup will be fought at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, U.K., in front of 80,000 boxing fans. It’s also expected that majority of the crowd will be cheering for the British as he’s the favorite. This fact could be another advantage to AJ as the audience’s noise might override the judge’s decision and instead score the rounds to Joshua, instead of Parker. That is, however, if it’s a closely-fought round.
Anthony Joshua showed multiple times how he had problems with agile boxers. His fights against Carlos Takam and Wladimir were just some of the instances that prove it.
It’s also important to consider his weight-to-body-frame ratio. He weighs 254 pounds even though his body build can ideally carry around only 250 pounds of weight. That alone sounds a disaster waiting to happen. And it could also spell his downfall as it’ll make his heart beat faster, and in the process, speed up the deterioration of his endurance.
Nonetheless, Anthony Joshua is still the favorite of the fight. With 1/8 odds compared to Joseph Parker’s 5/1 odds, it’s easy to say where will the audience side. But then again, the most probable reason why the odds are like this is due to the huge size disparity between the two.
There are also other sports bookmakers giving AJ -1200 odds while Parker gets +700 odds. Still, the odds are in favor of the undefeated British. Joshua v Parker betting guide for UK players are now everywhere. And you can use them to your advantage so you’ll know who’s got the highest chances of winning.
Just be sure the guide you’re referring to is from a reputable source. Getting back to the news, there are also those that think the fight will end in a draw, although this isn’t very likely as it’s only given 28/1 odds.
The odds of AJ winning by TKO is 2/7, while 4/1 odds on him winning by decision. Meanwhile, Parker gets 15/2 odds to win by KO or TKO, and 22/1 odds to win by decision. But then again anything can happen inside the ring.
With the superior agility and flexibility Parker has on his sleeves, it’s pretty like that he’ll outpace Anthony Joshua. The fight will only boil down on endurance. If Anthony Joshua finds a way to build a huge massive endurance pool, then the likelihood of Joseph Parker reigning supreme might slowly diminish. Indeed, the fight will be as interesting as the fighters. Let’s just hope that no one gets seriously hurt in the fight.
Photo by Matchroom Boxing
