What is Joseph Parker’s career best performance against a world level opponent?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Boxingfan786, Jul 8, 2025.


  1. Inglis_1

    Inglis_1 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Nah, not really.
     
  2. CroBox29

    CroBox29 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Probably Zhang, he came back after a couple of knockdowns and managed to win...
     
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  3. Kiwi Casual

    Kiwi Casual Well-Known Member Full Member

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    My points still stand. Wilders fight before Parker was a KO1 against Helenius. Took AJ 7.

    As for top ten by 38? These days that's not impossible. Hell a lot of people still have Chisora and Zhang in their top tens. The undisputed champ is 38 even.
     
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  4. Kiwi Casual

    Kiwi Casual Well-Known Member Full Member

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    It's Parker's fault he stepped up to fight better opposition sooner? Wild take.

    Don't get me wrong I think Kabayel is good and I enjoy his fights, but he's fought mostly cans bar Chisora and Zhang.
     
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  5. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    Aj is overrated, because Helanius was 40. And Wilder hasn't beaten anyone for such a ranking. He struggled with somebody he'd have blasted out in his prime. Chisora at least has some form of skill and veteran tricks to fall back on. By the time Parker got him into i highly doubt he was a top 10 heavyweight in the world. Honestly he was kind of a fraud in his prime bar Ortiz, and he arguably got saved in the first fight by extra time. Zhang is a much better win, Zhang is better than Wilder in every way besides stamina
     
  6. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Parker was given a world title shot by the WBO in late 2016. Before that he was a regional champ just like Kabayel. If Parker doesn't get that shot he'd be fighting regional level fighters just as long. A fighter doesn't just choose to step up and fight that competition. Even if they are willing to fight a top guy with no belt on the line that fighter has to be willing to fight them.

    Kabayel fighting the competition hes been fighting is not on him its on the 4 ducks for ruining the division.

    Also for some reason Usyk and Parker get credit for barely beating Chisora but Kabayel doesnt. Whats up with that?
     
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  7. Kiwi Casual

    Kiwi Casual Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Yet he was still ranked top 5, same with Zhang.

    I think both wins are good, but that he doesn't really get the credit he deserves when he executed the perfect game plan against Wilder. The Zhang fight was also a great performance where he got to showcase his grit and determination.
     
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  8. Kiwi Casual

    Kiwi Casual Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Yeah Parker was "given" a shot with all that sway and privilege that comes from an island nation of 5 million lol.

    Kabayel gets credit for Chisora. But he fought literally nobody else up until now. whether or not he had bad management or he was being carefully built up is a debate for another time.
     
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  9. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Historically the shoe would be on the other foot with the champion from Europe getting the oppurtunity before the champion from Oceania. But in this case it wasn't.

    He defended the EBU belt 5 times and won the NABF. He fought the level of competition that existed to challenge for his belt.
     
  10. kirk

    kirk l l l Staff Member

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    oh you want to talk ages, ok.

    Zhang was 40
    Wilder was 38
    Chisora was 37 and had lost 10 times


    ....

    Also, that 41 year old Wlad is better than anyone Parker has ever beaten.

    .....

    As for purely 'whove theyve fought'

    Usyk x2, Wlad, DD, Parker, Povetkin >
    AJ, Zhang, Joyce, Wilder, Chisora

    Any way you slice it.
     
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  11. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The explosive guys who rely on speed and athleticism age much quicker than others. Guys like Ezzard Charles and Jimmy Young were going down by 30. Age isn't equal it takes some traits before it takes others. Wilder relied on speed to land that right hand and he can't really afford to get a little slower. Others can.

    If Chisora was punished like everyone else is for losses he'd be retired now.
     
  12. MorvidusStyle

    MorvidusStyle Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Such a funny question. It really shows he avoided so many to protect his brand. Nobody can think of any and the ones they do really don't sound good once you say it out loud.
    Chisora 2!? That's his best one? You're talking about an old gatekeeper who lost to every top fighter even in his prime.

    Now people should see why the statement 'He deserves the Usyk fight' really isn't based on anything.
     
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  13. Kiwi Fish

    Kiwi Fish Member Full Member

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    You don't automatically get granted entry to world level, Parker had to hustle and take risks and travel to get there. He even gave Bob Arum a chunk of his money just to help get him a shot. Where as Kabayel was happy fighting low risk easy opponents at home for years before the Saudi's could finally coax him into taking a risk with a bag of cash.
     
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  14. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    When you are a former world champion top fighters are more willing to fight you.

    I'm not actually arguing that Parker shouldn't have got the WBO shot over Kabayel. He was further along than Kabayel at that time. The problem is him waiting 10 years.
     
  15. Kiwi Fish

    Kiwi Fish Member Full Member

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    The thing is that you can play this game with any fighter and their opponents, literally.

    Lets do Usyk at heavyweight for example he beat an old Chisora who already had 10 losses, followed by a gun shy Joshua who couldn't pull the trigger and hadn't looked good since the Ruiz loss, Dubois who was KO'd by a jab and never beat anyone with a pulse and should have lost to a blown up cruiserweight, and a washed Fury who's best win was nearly a decade and tonnes of alcohol and drugs earlier. And then he had to go and rematch those guys even though he already clearly beat them!

    See I don't necessarily believe those things but its super easy to run down any fighter and their resume, putting asterisks next to everything.

    Parker deserves his shot because he fought his way up the rankings and played the game to get to his mandatory position with the WBO who is next in rotation. And if Usyk ducks he should have to drop the WBO otherwise whats the whole point in having a champ who won't fight.
     
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