If Parker is a top five heavyweight then Jesus Christ, this is the worst era in heavyweight history by a country mile. But then again, you are wrong.
Top 5 fighters? What, active boxers, active Heavyweights? If he's in the top 5 boxers that means that he's better than some of the following, Alvarez Lomachenko Manny Golovkin Spence Jnr Usyk Wilder Fury Joshua Beterbiev Inoue I think that's enough. Parker is a top 10 Heavyweight, no more. Povetkin and Pulev dealt with Hughie far easier than he did and that was a clearly rusty Hughie. Joshua and Whyte beat him, Wilder would ice him, Fury would dance around him stroking his face and claim a UD, Usyk would school him in my opinion, then there's Ortiz and Chisora who wouldn't exactly be an easy nights work for him and potentially could beat him.
Lol Parker is from the same country as myself and even I barely rate him in the top 10. He's had some ok wins but nothing special. He's decent, but a level below the elite and will never get another title again. He benefitted from Tyson Fury's party lifestyle in the middle part of the decade.
I thought parker was very unlucky against whyte. Whyte wasn't in a rush for a rematch. Parker also has a win over Ruiz I would say easily top 10 heavyweight possibly top 5. Top 5 would be in no particular order Fury Joshua Wilder Potentially usyk After that there are 4 or 5 that are hard to separate Whyte\ parker\ruiz\ hunter\povetkin\ ortiz. Probably forgot an obvious one.
I think rather than thinking of where fighters are ranked in terms of a number, it’s probably more accurate to put them in bands/groups... For example... Upper band Joshua, Wilder, Fury Fringe band Usyk, Whyte, Pulev, Hunter, Ruiz, Parker, Joyce, Bakole etc Gatekeepers Chisora, Povetkin etc Obviously they can move up and down these ranks. At the moment there’s no point having someone ranked 5th and someone ranked 9th cos realistically there’s nothing truly separating them.
I think the problem with that is that it suggests anyone in the fringe group is considered superior to the gatekeeper group. I'm not sure that's fair to be honest. I'd not be shocked whatsoever if someone like Povetkin still had the beating of Parker or Joyce. The top three are clearly well beyond anyone else, but for me there are significant differences between someone like Bakole and someone like Whyte.
Agreed, they were just examples and obviously subjective. It was the idea of having the different bands that I was trying to put across. Some might put Usyk and Whyte in the top band or whatever, but I think having bands or groups makes it easier for us fans to categorise them.
I think the best way to describe a gatekeeper is dependant on the boxers ambition Titles or paydays Delboy fits the bill perfectly Price too (although more a wooden door than gate that he holds the keys too)
Agreed. I think of a gatekeeper as a fighter who’s best days are behind him, who’s realistically not going to get into a mandatory position or get a voluntary, who promoters can use as a measuring stick for the house fighter. Chisora, Povetkin, Ortiz, Breazeale, Martin, Washington, Kabayel etc.
I hope Povetkin can spring one last surprise before he retires. I know he's cheated in the past but I kind of like him and his style, he strikes me as the kind of fighter that could hurt Tyson Fury, catching him off guard and walking through some of his feather fisted punches.
Lots of sound bites from AJ this week suggesting one of his belts will be vacated. Parker’s team saying they would drop all plans if title becomes available and so the WBO seem certain to order 1 v 2 ie Usyk v Parker. I’d prefer to see the far more active Chisora get a title shot but if not, Chisora v Povetkin as main support to Usyk and Parker would be brutal affair
