Joseph Dennis "Explosive/Lupesoloai La'auli Ole Mālietoa" Parker

Well, well, well...

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Suddenly, the door is ajar once again for the smooth-boxing kiwi to jostle his way into the heavyweight top 5...and perhaps even go all the way, inside just a few bouts (as unthinkable as that may seem with a pending assignment versus Shawndel freaking Winters ).

His only defeats were close points losses to Britain's number two and three heavyweights...and he snatched the zero from the cousins of the UK's (and now world's) number one. A grudge match with Tyson Fury, with the champ angling to avenge Hughie but finding himself in the rare situation of facing - get this, another super heavy that can box (gasp!) - sells itself. A rematch with Joshua is for damn sure winnable, as it was close the first time back when Joshua still had the undefeated confidence aura. (Oh, and the very guy that beat Joshua? Yeah, guess who took Ruiz's zero, too... ). Within two fights potentially, boom, that's all the belts...from a period of relapsing into relative obscurity down under, and being largely forgotten about.

Parker was always the lingering threat who should've been discussed the way people have instead fluffed up the likes of Whyte, Pulev and Ortiz. Hopefully after yeeting fluky 1-hit-wonder Winters from the world class stage he can set to proving that.

 

Yeah but..but ..grr, I hate that you have the right of it, as far as the reality of boxing geopolitics.

He's top 5 h2h (at least), though - he should be in the mix! And he would honestly not have that bad a shot of going 2-0 against Fury and Joshua. In fact there is nobody else on the planet with as good a shot, IMO. (Ruiz, for instance, absolutely doesn't beat Fury)

 

Oi, now I'm reading on Twitter about how Parker is maybe wanting to swoop in and pick at Wilder's bones? That is a baaaad move and could backfire spectacularly...all the worse an idea should there not be any tangible reward for it (which would mean Wilder winning his belt back from Fury in the June trilogy match).

Going in against somebody like Wilder, who has that equalizer that can put you to sleep even after you've outboxed him for 11+ rounds - especially for no title?!?! - instead of targeting a pair of more stylistically favorable match-ups (and both with far less probability of being KTFO, regardless of who's up on the cards) for the same money or better ...would be insane. Don't be insane, Joe...

 

I can't believe he just frittered away 14 months of his prime, sitting on his thumbs waiting for a Chisora fight to coalesce (which it never did, as Del Boy was fixing to get himself in the Usyk sweepstakes) - only fighting once in that whole time, against freaking Alex Leapai.

And now returning against freaking Shawndel Terrell Winters.

Matchroom better do right by him in 2020. Don't just toss him to a hungry, rampaging Wilder, you vultures.

 

Spam up the joint with all the redundant knee-jerk Wilder & Fury threads you want, infidels, and I'll keep bumping this up to stay afloat. I won't let you bury the Chosen One! He will not get erased from the narrative!

 

Good call, either of his losses could realistically be avenged. Really anything - Fury, Joshua II, Whyte II, Chisora/Usyk winner - is better risk/reward than Wilder at this point.

 

The Great Chief Warrior would win at least 4-5 rounds.

 

Good in what way? You mean entertaining? Meh, he's hanging in there having close, go-either-way fights with world class opposition on the regular. I appreciate his skills, even if he isn't painting the town red.

 

I might be in the minority here but I thought Parker fairly edged out both Andy Ruiz and Hughie Fury, and deserved at least a draw in both his losses (Whyte and Joshua).