I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the most entertaining heavyweight fights since Fury Wilder 3
Can't see the sense in Parker going straight out after Wardley and I don't think Parker and Lee will either. Parker would be wiser to play the percentages and box Wardley, like he did Ruiz and wear Wardley down with skill. Something Wardley doesn't have a lot of, as demonstrated by rounds 1 to 9 against Huni. If the shot is there I'm sure Parker will take it but there won't need to be unnecessary risk taking. Parker can dominate every round and pull the trigger when the opportunity presents itself.
Parker needs rounds and this is the perfect chance to get them. Box smart for the first half of the fight and then turn up the heat in the latter half. I see a stoppage in the 9th round.
I think Parker is going to see what Wardley has and slowly build towards a KO in the latter half of the fight. Could be earlier though if he is not impressed with what Wardley is bringing. But I wouldn't write Wardley off, he has power and has won a lot of fights that he was "supposed" to lose against more skilled boxers.
Parker will look to get some rounds in and then may fancy a late stoppage,as for Wardley he will still be dangerous for every second of every round. This fight also has the potential to be a proper old tear up .
Parker is a better fighter than Wardley, but I can see him losing this with a punch from the Gods, similar to how Huni got beat. Joe is fearless, but there are only so many live top 10 guys you can climb in there with before one of them gets a win, it's a disgrace he hasn't been given a shot at Usyk, and while I don't think he ever actually will get his chance, a loss to Wardley would put that to bed once and for all.
It does seem like the powers that be are trying to remove Parker out of the equation rather than give him his deserved Title shot !
Would be a pretty nice fight if parker went for it from the beginning. It's not the style he showcased in his last few fights, though. Then again he has to grow his reputation as an exciting fighter in order to get his shot apparently. So maybe this is his chance which makes it more likely.
A lot of sensible people suggesting Parker should outbox Wardley above, and I'd have to agree. Wardley has very serious KO power, and he does have a tough chin. Trying to out-brawl Wardley even late in the fight has already proven to be a bad idea as blueprinted by Huni. Parker has enough skill to get the decision even if Parker may get knocked down at somepoint. If Parker can beat Zhang, he can beat Wardley.
In any fight, the smart fighter stacks the odds in his own favour and the biggest mistake Parker could make is standing toe to toe with Wardley from the opening bell. Parker doesn't need to stop Wardley in 2 rounds to make a statement. If he schools Wardley while it lasts, like Huni did and takes him out mid to late rounds, that will be statement enough.