Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker

Right now I'd favour Joshua even though he is less proven in terms of level of opposition.

But Parker would obviously be dangerous, at least for a few rounds anyway. Parker showed serious stamina issues against Takam, more so than Joshua did. Joshua never gasses as badly against Whyte as Parker did against Takam it really effected Parker's effectiveness in that fight.

Joshua at this stage is a more complete fighter to me. His jab is superior, he's learned a nice counter right hand technique, while Parker hasn't shown any ability to counter, he relies on his speed to get off first to be effective much like Amir Khan does.

Parker needs more time to mature and improve his conditioning. The physical talent is there, the durability, the heart and desire but his skills need refining before I'd favour him over Joshua.

 

He sure has developed the counter right nicely but it can get better. The footwork, the timing of that cross against Martin was beautiful boxing and to do that against his first ever professional southpaw is a credit to his training and clearly shows how he has improved for those of us who watch him closely. Good of you to pick up on that.

Good post.

 

Parker has a punchers chance definitely, but Joshua has shown he is better defensively, with his size, improving jab and higher guard. He was also caught by a counter shot while coming in recklessly against Whyte and Parker doesn't really throw counters and Joshua showed against Breazeale he's learned from the mistake against Whyte with a more measured approach.

I disagree, Takam was a much tougher test for Parker than Whyte was for Joshua. Takam is better than Whyte and put for more leather on Parker than Whyte did to Joshua. Joshua was stunned and had a bad couple of rounds but other than that was in control against Whyte but Parker had a lot of difficulty against Takam I thought he might get stopped on more than one occasion.

 

Parker scored a heap against Takam with counters, not sure where the not countering thing comes from - especially when countering against Takam is another level (watch AJ vs Breazeale or Martin then Parker versus Takam straight after and look at how much time AJ gets to consider his reaction versus what Parker does).

This is absolutely not to take anything away from AJ, his last two fights have left little to complain about - just think Parker is being sold very short here.

 

Parker does throw counters like that peach of an uppercut he hit Takam with near the end of the 4th, but he doesn't do it enough for my liking.

He prefers to lead and all too often in the Takam fight he just moved away rather than punishing Takam for his aggression. Like in the 5th when Takam switched tactics and started going at Parker, Parker just backed off too much, fought off the ropes when he could but didn't counter at all, which would have forced Takam to perhaps limit his attacks.

Trading or leading when a fighter backs you up to the ropes isn't countering which is in reality what Parker did most of the fight, it was Takam if anyone who was countering. Like in the 8th when Parker unloads with a volley of shots, Parker is the one leading and instigated the attack and it was Takam who put his hands up and countered with 2 left hooks which stopped Parker's momentum.

Takam would usually either wait for a lead shot from Parker or walk him down then Parker would lead and then Takam would try and counter back, which I think was a tactical error by Takam he should have led more rather waiting so much as Parker's lack of countering would mean little was coming back if he could keep the pressure on. Had he maintained more pressure it would have given Parker fewer opportunities to lead and curtailed his work rate.

 

Joshua had Whyte in trouble in the first and second rounds. People talk about him being hurt but the reason he got hurt was because he was rushing in without thought trying to finish Whyte. He showed that he's learned a bit from that mistake against Breazeale.

 

Yes he was loading up massively to take out Whyte and it almost cost him. He was dropping the right hand to load up on the right hook and Whyte countered with the left hook over the low right.

Against Breazeale he basically had a human shaped punching bag coming at him and even then against such a wide open opponent he could barely miss he showed way more restraint. He was still a little reckless with shots coming from too far out and the odd loaded up right hand but we never saw the sustained attempt to take him out that exposed him as much as in the Whyte fight. It's a good sign that Joshua has learned from that.

 

The Femi chin is his achilles. Parker showed he can take punches vs Takam. Femi was on rubber legs after one glancing shot from Whyte, a game but lesser guy than Takam.

 

Wilder may well be an easier fight.

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It's a big difference to have "stamina issues" against Carlos ****ing stamina engine Takam rather than against Dillian Whyte...

Parkers showed his stamina to be very good - but just not great like Takam himself.

Joshua showed his stamina to be average+ at best against Dillian Whyte who couldn't keep pushing the tempo himself...

Really bad ****ysis from you my friend...

 

It's nice to see the Kiwi's get excited about their biggest boxing prospect in years but I personally don't think this fight will be close. I see AJ working behind the jab in the opening rounds out of respect to Parker who may even win 1 of the opening rounds. Rounds 5 to 7 Parker begins to gass then AJ starts throwing bombs until Parker goes down, he may well get up and see out another round but the invitable happens in rounds 6-9 which is Parker getting KO.

There is a good reason why bookies are offering 9/1 on Parker to win and if you genuinely beleive he wins this fight then I suggest you go make yourself very rich!

 

Well Breazeale didn't do as bad as I thought he would so either Breazeale has iron whiskers or Joshua isn't the puncher people think :think

Or maybe it was just one of those nights but if Breazeale is surviving that long in a one sided fight, taking that many shots then Parker might be OK and Breazeale has bang average power and zero technique in my opinion so Parker must have a chance.

 

Or it's simply the law of physics...

Breazeale's taller and heavier than Joshua, thus Joshua's punches shouldn't affect Breazeale as much as his usual (smaller) opponents...

 

Physics? David Price is 6'8" and weighed like 270 pounds in his last fight. Yet he still has a glass jaw...