Joseph Dennis Parker Lupesoliai vs. Fabio Wardley & Ezra Taylor vs. Steed Woodhall - Round by Round.

Wardley was gassing badly as well and was still getting hurt.

 

I thought that but he probably thought it was closer than it was and it would cost him.

 

Wardley always looks gassed.

In my opinion, Parker was going to get brutally KOd.

At least now he gets a shot at the winner of Whyte v Chisora on DAZN Box Office next year.

 

Just watched it and I have to agree about the poor stoppage but then again, it is Howard Foster. If you know - and your memory is intact - then you'll know. Should have been pensioned off years ago. As bad as his retired American cousin Joe Cortez.

Usyk makes a mug out of Fabio. He is basically the British version of Wilder. Can be outboxed but has that mighty right hand. Usyk though will be too cute in every department.

I said elsewhere 6 months ago, might even have been on here, that Itauma v Wardley is the fight to make from a UK pov. Saying that, Parker deserves the re-match with Wardley.


Froch, below, nails it.

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Reality is he would have been down by 2 on one card, even on another and up by 4 on another with a knee. Im surprised he didnt take a knee to be honest, in front of his corner too. Its the right hand when he comes off the ropes after his burst , his reaction slumping back, hands down by his waist, i think is the one that got Fosters attention, combine that with a 35 second onslaught prior, i think a knee for some respite would have done him the world of good. Be interesting to know if Howard Foster was saying anything, because the 2 punch he threw look like he was forced into throwing it maybe Foster said fight back, which then made him catch a nasty right hand.

 

Parker is too nice, doesn't have that killer instinct.

 

Agree. He should have splattered Wilder when he had the chance and didn't have it. People thought he'd become a killer because a skiff off Bakole's head made him dizzy.

 

I think Parker tried to change things up for this fight. He came in heavy and probably underestimated Wardley — as many did, myself included — especially his resilience.. The mistake was trying to trade with him. Parker was winning the 10th until he hurt Wardley and started unloading, then almost got himself sparked at the end of the round, basically gifting that round to Wardley on the cards.

Thing is, the fight was already his to lose. The old Joey12 would’ve got on his bike, coasted the championship rounds and seen it out like he’s done before. But fair play to Fabio — he’s turning into a proper Rocky Balboa story lately. Those last three fights especially have been something else, and I honestly think even Usyk would be a bit wary of taking it to him in case he gets caught.

 

He had Wardley hurt a couple times and should've absolutely swarmed him. Make it rough and dirty, push Wardley against the ropes.

 

Andy Lee and Parker are close with Tyson and his camp, and I think they had Wardley pegged as a poor man’s Wilder — especially after seeing him against Clarke and Huni. They probably figured if Parker came in heavy, like Tyson did in the second Wilder fight, he could just bully Fabio and get a similar outcome.

But Fabio’s shown improvements in every fight. He’s still learning, and it’s mad to think he only picked up the gloves about eight years ago. Still, it’s a remarkable achievement considering in his last two fights, at exactly the same point he turned them around, just as he himself looked about done and ready to go. He’s making a bit of a mockery of the heavyweight scene right now. Being around the likes of Moses and Joshua will only have helped too if he’s getting those rounds in.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Boxercise Ben comes out and says it was all part of his gameplan at some point.

 

Think it just proves you can't teach a heart and a chin. Maybe it took a white collar boxer to show the rest up.

 

Yeah spot on. That’s, I guess, what Whyte saw in him back in the day and why he took him under his wing — that toughness and bite you just can’t teach, proper warrior code. It’s also what Dillian’s always said AJ doesn’t have. Can’t see anyone rushing to fight Wardley now — only Usyk, and maybe a delusional Dave Allen, since he seems to have a death wish.

 

Great fight. Some quiet rounds in the middle, but the first 3-4 rounds and the last 2 were brilliant. Not sure I'd have it above Fury v Wilder III, but one of the best HW fights in some time.

Great performance by Wardley who boxed better and more composed than I imagined he could. He is still a little predictable at times, and he'll never be a defensive wizard. However, he has a solid jab, great power that he carries late, is very quick for a HW, has decent reactions and is not as defensively porous as he once was, and he seems to have a decent engine on him. Add in his heart and warrior mentality, then he is a handful for any HW that isn't Usyk.

The commentators, and some people on here, were saying that he was tired, but until the last round barrage, his shots still had snap on them and were delivered quickly. I thought Parker struggled with the pace more and was pushing his punches far earlier in the fight.

The stoppage was bad. I've heard some people trying to defend it saying that Parker was knackered and done. You don't stop fights for boxers being tired. If that was the case then most fights would be stopped, particularly at HW. Yes, Parker was barely throwing back, but he blocked and dodged most of the shots; most significantly, the last 3 punches before Foster stepped in. I think some people have gotten so used to bad stoppages, particularly by Foster, that they accept stoppages like this. It doesn't matter if this stoppage doesn't rate in Foster's top 10 bull**** stoppages; it's still a bad stoppage.

The weight gain didn't work in Parker's favour. He has been bulking up for some time now. Long before the Wardley fight was announced. I'm assuming it was in anticipation of a proposed Usyk fight. Parker is quick and relatively skillful for a HW, but trying to outbox Usyk would be pointless, so him bulking up makes sense. Turki had also said he doesn't want runners, so, similar to Shakur Stevenson in his last fight, Parker decided to change his style by holding his feet and letting his hands go more. The increased bulk would aid this. Unfortunately, the old backfoot, quicker, more cautious Parker is more suited to Wardley. Not this newer version.

Anyway, shite stoppage aside, Fabio done us proud. He brought what we already knew he had, heart and power, but he also showed that he is developing into quite a competent boxer with more strings to his bow.

 

There's nothing wrong with Parker's heart. He's a warrior. He can be vicious too. But he's always been a poor strategic fighter. He brawls when he should box, boxes when he should brawl, goes on the defense when he should be on the offense, and goes on the offense when he should be on the defense. He smothers his own work too often. For all his ability he does all of that too often. And honestly Andy Lee hasn't ironed out those tendencies at all.

 

He has the Wilder-esque equaliser but Wardley’s heart and chin are way above that of Wilder’s.

Unfortunately the Itauma fight isn’t happening as they both have the same trainer.