Joseph Parker is overrated

Meehan was 45, let that sink in ... 45. 3 years before he lost to a 38-7-1 Travis Walker who was coming off a loss and would go onto lose his next 7 fights. Meehan was a journeymen by the time he fought Parker.

Yes he's walking through the guys he's facing now but that's what a top prospects should do. At some point when he does step up the opposition and if he can walk through them as well then we can start calling him a contender instead of just a good prospect.

There are plenty of guys with decent names who he could face that are not a big threat but are seen as a step up. Chisora would be a good fight, proven gate keeper, not in good form, has a style that would suit Parker and isn't a big hitter and has a good enough chin to go some rounds and with Fury now the champion if he beats Chisora faster it would build serious momentum.

Then you have guys like Mansour, Perez, Leapai, etc. Nobody is asking him to step in with top 10 level opposition yet, maybe not even top 20, but a step up in class is required.

 

When you have an up and coming prospect, you want to put them in against guys who will give them different looks.

Who do you think could give Parker different looks?

He could fight Joey Abell. He's 6'4 and a southpaw.

 

He's fighting Jason Bergman next who is also a southpaw and perhaps a little better than Abell?

 

I think he's overrated

 

Fastest jab in the division right now. Fastest jab in heavyweight division since Larry Holmes. i think he's not overrated, he is underrated..

 

For a young 23-year old with 17 pro fights, Parker is doing well. From April his team say he will begin facing Top-10 opposition.

I expect him to keep winning. He is big, fast, skilful.

Time will tell.

 

While I agree it would be ideal to test Parker against a variety of styles, I don't think a guy Arreola KO'ed in a round would be any kind of test or force him to show anything new, Abell is just another journeymen.

If you want to stick him in against a southpaw then guys like Tarver, Thompson, Szpilka, Perez and Mansour etc would all be better tests.

I'd like to see him against someone like Chisora who would try and push him back or against a mover like Scott or Cunningham who he'd have to chase. I want to see how good Parker's footwork is.

 

What is better though, having a short fast jab or a long slightly slower jab.

Parkers reach is only 76 inches which is like t-rex arms in the current landscape

 

Against Scott or Cunningham, he could work on his skills at cutting off the ring.

 

Fast, powerful jab can make a good setup for a powerful combo.( like Mike Tyson)

 

Or he could fight someone with a good jab, to prepare him for the top HWs, where he'll have a reach disadvantage.

 

He is very aggressive.

Just watch his recent fights. Straight in with heavy, speedy combinations. But he keeps his balance well too. What's not to like?

-Kiwi

 

Very good post. Meehan was roughly a top 40 hw and Parker blew him out. Some of the fighters follow up comments were made about are off base. Chisora and Scott? Fringe top 10
hw's. Losing to one of them doesn't mean he's a fraud, just that he's not a top 10 guy. Leapai? I actually think Meehan would have a 50/50 chance of winning that fight.

So what's the standard here, as far as him being "unproven". That he's not a clear top 10 hw? Top 5? Agreed. But I think its fair to have him in the top 20 based on how he's blown past the comp he has faced.

 

So what you are just saying is he's just a very good prospect at the moment? Well I can agree with that, it's when people say he's the champ in waiting that's when it gets a bit delusional. Neither Parker or Joshua are contenders yet, let alone ready to fight the champs.

 

While I know triangle theory doesn't work you do know Leapai KO'ed journeymen Tarvis Walker in 4 rounds and Walker went on to KO Meehan. I'd have Leapai a clear favourite over a 45 year old Meehan.