PARKER's PROBLEM is STAMINA

His next fight is vs Browne in Australia.

 

Stamina...short reach...not a huge puncher...concentration...predictable offense...little defense...

He's got a lot of problems. A good fighter, but he was lucky to get a belt, and I don't see him getting another.

 

Parker proved the chin is solid, he proved that he has the power (he had Whyte hurt a few times and dropped him and Whyte was lucky to see the final bell), has the speed and the skills BUT he also proved Whyte right about his heart.

I was quite disappointed by the heart (or lack thereof) shown in most of this fight. There was definitely a more-of-the-same situation through the middle of this fight which didn't need to be. The flurry in the 12th was exciting but too little too late, definitely a deserved win by Whyte but it is hard to imagine seeing the end of certain things which happened in this fight which we were promised wouldn't happen.

I expect Parkers future will be between deciding on an early retirement from boxing and finally give his young family the attention it deserves, or deciding if he is happy being a gate keeper to the top level as off this performance he is not going to be a champion. He is better than Whyte and he should have been able to beat him - if he can't beat someone he has the advantages over, how is he ever going to ever get a win where he needs to be the Rocky vs Drago? If the heart of champion was ever going to be truly shown in his career, it was meant to be today

 

Any talk of retirement right now is ridiculous, he's still only 26 years old for Christ sake, he has time to rebuild and improve. But he has to dump Barry, he has talent but he doesn't have the skills/tools to fully untilise those talents.

Also talk of lack of desire is silly, he went for it in that final round and almost pulled off a dramatic come from behind win, had he landed one more good punch we'd all be talking about how his desire saw him come from behind and win.

But he clearly has flaws and yes his stamina might be an issue as he came in obviously above his best weight. But it's a minor flaw compared to his other flaws.

He's a very basic fighter who has not evolved enough. Had Parker/Whyte happened a few years ago, Parker would of KO'ed Whyte but in the last few years fighters like Whyte and Joshua improved to the point they became superior to him, while he stagnated.

Firstly is jab sucks. His a tell, he feints it you know he's about to attack, 95% of his attacks start with a weak jab, that has made him very, very easy to read and then cover up to block his right hand. The one time he did lead with another shot was when he threw that uppercut and he caught Whyte flush. Throwing a left lead or a right lead now and again, or my god a counter punch would do wonders for Parker.

Parker's right hand sucks. Everyone knows it's coming even if he hasn't even a tell by throwing a jab because he only knows how to throw a looping right hand. He needs to learn to throw a proper technically correct straight right hand, one that he can use as a lead that's harder to see coming and one that can be used as an effective counter punch.

He doesn't know how to counter punch, Whyte was there to be countered at times, especially for the right hand, but it never came because Parker has never been taught how to counter punch. Simply learning to counter would make Parker a far bigger offensive threat because when he's on the back foot he's basically totally ineffectual offensively, which is why so many guys walk him down like Takam, Ruiz, Whyte. They all could push forward knowing nothing was coming back.

He needs to dump Barry, he's been too nice a guy and know he needs to do what's best for his career, Barry cannot teach him the skills required, he doesn't have the knowledge to impart.

 

The first time I saw Parker fight was as an amateur when he was 18 at the Commonwealth games and being touted as a medal prospect. He then lost in the quarter finals in a match he was expected to win looking very much like he didn't really care.

I'm not sure what causes this with him, not realising how the fight is going and being able/trying to adapt, having not being able or having put in the groundwork to fight hard for 12 rounds, not having the confidence in his body post injury or simply not having the competitive spirit to match his opponent (perhaps all four) but I've long thought his loyalty to his current trainer when we could all see he wasn't improving as his career progressed has been a major factor.

Seems like a nice guy either way and I hope he either tries to come back having made wholesale changes with a burning heart or enjoys his money as a wealthy young man.

 

Stamina, boxing etc etc...it all leads to Kevin Barry. Barry trains Joseph.

Barrys training is very limited.

 

For a fighter JP is too nice, he’ll get no where with that nice guy **** when the top guys of the division are willing to do whatever it takes to take your head. Parker was winning those first couple rounds and giving Whyte a run for his money the. Whyte said f that and started rough housing

 

The headbutt behind the ear changed everything, they revealed in press conference afterwards that he lost equilibriam and balance from then on.

 

Killer instinct can't be taught and without it he'll likely still come up short even with a new trainer in his corner. I like him but he's been exposed and I think he's finished.

 

Parker has not been punished. I say give it another try.