So, is Parker now officially the 3rd best heavy of the post-Klitskcho, pre-Usyk era?

Watch all the haters come out.

 

He might have been, but he hadn't proved it during that time period. It's a problem in the sport as a whole, the 2nd best guy in a division could be ranked as low as 7th due to inactivity and due to quality match ups not actually transpiring. Look at how the middle aged Zhang was treated post and pre Joyce.

 

Possibly I still try to give Povetkin the 3rd slot until the long Covid showed and he was horrible in second Whyte bout. That was March of 2021. Joshua would lose to Usyk in September of that same year. Maybe the draw the Hunter was deemed bad, but Hunter was being hyped. Parker is 3rd or 4th of the pre ascension of Usyk after the first Joshua bout.

 

I don't know. But I do know Parker could run through Wilders resume and would probably come out with the exact same record but with a couple more UD's

 

Povetkin would have beaten Parker and he got stretched out by Joyce, then there's the Whyte loss

 

Honestly, I’m still not a big Parker believer. I thought Ruiz beat him clearly, and I thought Chisora edged him the first time. He’s earned my respect, but I’d still have Wilder and Ruiz above him.

 

Oh yeah, completely forgot about that. Chisora was damn near robbed. Dropped Parker too. Parker had to fight him twice like Whyte, almost as if there the same level

 

I am a Parker fan,

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I'd say it's Andy Ruiz Jr.
Especially considering how somewhat controversial Parker's win over Andy Ruiz Jr. is. contributed to it.
It completely changed the view of the careers, legacies and resumes of both boxers.

 

Yes.

 

Hard to say "definitely", I'm obviously a Parker fan but I do think there's a good argument for Ruiz Jr, Wilder himself, or Povetkin.

 

Don't think so, Joshua is still clearly the 3rd best. For one he beat Parker as well as Ruiz in the rematch. He was also unified champion unlike Parker. Then the Whyte and Joyce losses as well.

At best he's 4th at worst 5th or 6th but he is still only 31 and his resume could improve. I'd favour him over Whyte now and wouldn't mind seeing him avenge that loss. This new more aggressive come forward style would be more problematic for even peak Whyte this faded version gets stopped by Parker now.

 

I see very little argument for Wilder being in the top 3 after last weekend. It's his fault for not stepping up earlier in career. I'd probably give Ruiz the edge over Parker as he delivered on the big stage.

 

Agreed on Wilder, definitely not top 3, if it wasn't for him winning a belt vs Stiverne, who was lucky himself the WBC thought he and Arreola were worthy of a shot at a vacant title, he probably wouldn't even be top 5.

I'd have Parker over Ruiz Jr and disagree about Parker delivering on the big stage. He lost his first title shot to Parker, albeit in a close fight but in the end he failed to win the title. Yes he beat Joshua, but that was a case of Joshua not showing up, not Ruiz rising to the occasion and then in the rematch Ruiz showed up 15.5lbs heavier, again underperforming on the big stage. and that's been the story since, simply disappointing, struggling with Arreola of all people, having a decent fight with Ortiz where he failed to finish a 43 year old Ortiz who went life and death with Charles Martin, despite having him down 3 times and then simply not fighting at all.