HOW can PARKER beat ZHANG? - Your Tactics??

Pretty sure that's what people said for Parker's last fight against Wilder. Ye have little faith.

 

I think Parker gets Zhang'd in 6

 

I think you need to read the title.

 

I think I implied Parker doesn't win. "How can parker beat zhang"? Imo he doesnt..

 

As we discovered with Hrgovic and Forrest, if you out maneuver Zhang he becomes easier to beat
as the fight goes on. Same game plan as Wilder. He's already geared up for this.

 

The question was how, and what would your tactics be. Not if.

 

Fear not. When Parker does beat Zhang all of a sudden Zhang will be shot. God forbid we give boxers credit for executing good game plans these days...

 

Head movement, herky jerky motion on the outside. Has to close the distance fast and try rough him up close. Invest into the body and make Zhang fight at a pace he can't keep up. Parker's main worry is getting caught flush by those long straight bombs. If he's at the end of a clean one he's going to have a big problem. So he needs to suck up the space and prevent Zhang from generatign his full power at maximum extension. He also needs to be vocal if Zhang leans on him or ties him up all the time. He's the younger guy with better stamina and he needs to blow out all of Zhang's gaskets as soon as possible.

 

He can’t/wont

 

Hater

 

Broadly agree with all of this. Jabs to the stomach would be an effective tactic on the outside, provided he doesn't get into a predictable rhythm with them and let Zhang time him coming in. Flurries of ambush style attacks to steal the early rounds might be an option, and to mentally force Zhang to up his game and commit to a more offensive style which would start to sap his energy quicker. Zhang won't have the same sort of mindset of a Wilder where he doesn't mind giving up rounds to land a big gamechanger late in the fight. He'll know the later rounds will favour Parker and will try to bank on keeping things relatively even or slightly in his favour on the scorecards in case it comes down to the judges.

Zhang is a somewhat reactive rhythm-based fighter and above all Parker needs to keep him guessing. Don't fall into predictable patterns, don't overcommit, telegraph or in any way give away what you intend to do. Unlike Joyce, whose handspeed Zhang never had to worry about, Parker can match or beat him to the punch, and that's going to affect Zhang's ability to land counters or trade with him effectively in mid flurry. Keep Zhang uncertain, keep him on the backfoot, make him fight to your pace, and don't get caught by anything silly and I think Parker can take this down the stretch.