Warren says Usyk is injured/Parker will likely defend full WBO title against Whyte-Itauma winner

Parker must have something contagious. First Dubios, now Usyk lol.

 

Small payday.

 

It's funny what is considered small now.
Is 80% of 20m~40m not enough for the champion to defend his belt?

Though it would have been hilarious if it went to purse bids and Parker's team won it with a really low ball figure (then just did some back door payments to Parker).

 

Parker is not going to give Itauma anything, Itauma is going to have to take some risks to make openings for his offense. Unlike all of Itauma's opponents so far. Parker's experience is likely to carry the day.

 

Even wilder that fresh off beating a retired NFL player, Itauma is ranked number 1 by the WBO and number 2 by the WBA.

 

That's what happens when you give a guy like Frank Warren the keys to the kingdom.
Turki certainly made an interesting choice as king maker with all that Saudi loot he brought into the game.
Great for boxing

 

As of now though, I'd have to back Parker to beat Itauma pretty comfortably.

My opinion could change after this weekend as Whyte is genuinely a proven opponent whom has beaten Parker before.

 

I mean Turki has been great for boxing in many ways - yes, but he has made some glaring mistakes though.

 

This sport is a disgrace sometimes. Imagine having beaten Wilder, Zhang, and Bakole —three top-10 fighters —and then being told you have to fight a 20-year-old with only one half-decent win on his resume (assuming he beats Whyte) to justify you deserve a world title. If Itauma fights Parker after Whyte, then Parker will win; it's too steep an incline in level and experience of opponent, especially considering Parker's recent performances.

They're unnecessarily rushing Itauma because they see him as a potential cash cow, and someone from Itauma's team should have a word with him and tell him that he risks stunting his development if they start throwing him at top 5 guys when he hasn't even beaten anyone barely above British level.

 

Give Parker the WBO and try to job him off to Itauma. All because Usyk vs. Itauma is a bigger fight.

 

It's always been this way.

George Foreman was fighting nothing but cab drivers on his comeback. Eventually he gets a title shot against Evander. Fails miserably. Beats prospect Jimmy Ellis, arguably loses to Alex Stewart, beats Pierre Coetzer (who?), and then gets ANOTHER title shot versus Morrison. Fails miserably. Then he IMMEDIATELY gets a THIRD title shot against Moorer. Surely there were some other, more deserving fighters that should have gotten those title shots. But Foreman was a name and brought in the bucks.

Honestly, I think this is good for Joe. He's been inactive for a long time outside of his 2 round demo job on Fat-kole. So he really needs another fight before stepping in versus Usyk. Itauma, for as athletically gifted as he is, is nowhere near ready to face a guy on Parker's level. So Parker gets elevated to champ, gets good money to destroy the new British hype job, and then he'll get his fight with Usyk next year for real big money.

 

We were both right. Usyk is playing the game smartly, but it's really Frank Warren pulling the strings here.

Surely the money is much bigger for both Usyk and Joe if Joe gets elevated to champ and then knocks off Itauma, right? I ain't into all that letting fights marinate nonsense, but there is something to be said for building dudes profiles to convince the casuals to tune in. Like it or not, Parker isn't a huge draw. But with the push Frank and his minions in the British media have been putting on for Moses, Parker beating that kid while being the WBO champ would raise his stock significantly. And if Joe loses to Moses, that would mean the Moses hype would truly be through the stratosphere which makes his fight with Usyk a sell-out Wembley mega fight for sure.

 

Itaumas attributes: Southpaw, more power than Parker, faster than Parker, more agile than Parker, level changes more, counter punches more. Eye test is very subjective and isn't as credible as resume, but from what I can see, Itauma is all wrong for Parker. If he is good enough to dominate Whyte and stop him early I think he is going to destroy Parker

 

I don't disagree with your point here, but Foreman was a former world champion who had proven himself at the very top of the game. Not only was he a big name, but he also had the narrative behind him of becoming the oldest heavyweight champion. Itauma has done nothing to be mentioned alongside the likes of Kabayel or Parker, nor should he be allowed to jump the queue if he beats a declining Dillian. If Parker beats Itauma, which is likely, then they'll find another way to freeze him out of the Usyk fight. I genuinely think Usyk will never fight Parker.

 

Parker has fought bigger punchers, the best in the division infact.

I don't think Itauma has much to trouble him with other than speed. He certainly doesn't have the experience yet, and we haven't seen him in trouble yet.