Seems like there are negotiations going on - to stage this in America, according to Parker's management. Your thoughts on this matchup?
That's a really nice fight, if Ruiz comes in anyway near decent shape. First fight could very well be scored a draw.
Great fight, if Ruiz comes in the right shape and is completely ready for that fight then I would even favor him over Parker...
May the better man win. Hopefully, just as the winner gets a last chance, the loser will get cycled out and we can cease having a division endlessly dominated by the same 7-8 constantly recycled guys.
I had Ruiz winning the first one. Nothing controversial about it. Just a close one that went the other way and the scores reflected that. Surprised Team Ruiz would go this way. Thought they were going to milk it a bit more and have him fight in Mexico once before targeting Wilder or Ortiz.
Good fight. Much more realistic chance of happening than the Hrgovic pipe-dream. Ruiz brings plenty to the table. And not just for dinner. I thought Parker deserved the decision in their first fight but it was genuinely close. So much so that a rematch in the US was in order at some point so let's see it. Both went on from their fight in New Zealand to challenge AJ for the alphabet crown. A win for either would move one of them back to the front of the queue for a title shot at some point when one becomes available. I don't think a loss in a hard fought fight would do much damage to the loser either. It would keep them where they are now rather than move them backwards significantly. A loss to Hrgovic would put a career on the scrapheap.
Yeah, I can get up for this. Two X champs on their second meeting. The first fight was close so if both fighters are at their best (Andy Arbuckle especially, condition wise) it's a 50-50ish fight for me. Going on their last fights, Parkers shown improvement in the rematch with better aggression and won convincingly and could even have done it better(?). Maybe parker's on a roll and gets the double with a Ruiz re-match win. Ruiz's last fight was not that good, lacklustre at best. Arreola had him buzzed at least twice but Ruiz's recovery is pretty proven now. Just as long as he's motivated and in shape we'll defo see a better Ruiz this time out I think. There's a lot on the line in this potential fight career heading wise for both men. All in all a not to shabby a re-match fight.
Ugh. Would be extraordinarily boring to watch. The only strategy to beat Ruiz is boxing on the backfoot and Parker is very boring when he uses that style. Or Parker fights stupid by trying to go toe-to-toe and gets TKOd fast.
That is the conventional thinking but I don't know. Ruiz is awfully easy to hit if you are willing to stand with him as Joshua 1, Arreola and Hamer showed, he usually comes out on top by simply being more durable but Parker has a good chin too he might do better than most in a fire fight. But you're probably right but whatever happens with their chins, hands speed and combo's if they do stand toe to toe this could be a really entertaining fight. As for the fight itself, it makes sense financially it's more lucrative than Hrgovic and Parker is young enough and well positioned enough to make a title run later on once he's had more time to improve under his new trainer. Also it's interesting he's again chosen to rematch a fighter he had a close fight with to perhaps again show he's a better version of what he was before when he first fought Ruiz. A more convincing win for Parker would only confirm the idea he's improved and needs to be taken seriously again.