Joseph Parker

[diehard]

No TAB.  But I see Parker unproven against the top boxers, and Tupou is on the fringe of that.  He's got power and experience.  If I didn't like Parker, I'd take the odds and go with Tupou.

Teper took a chance and fought David Price.  Might do the same for Parker with the right money.  He's getting up in years at 33.

[diehard]

Lucas Browne tips Bowie Tupou to beat New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker

Bowie Tupou has the size and game to trouble Kiwi Joseph Parker, according to Australian boxer Lucas Browne.

Heavyweight contender Lucas Browne believes fellow Australian Bowie Tupou can beat rising New Zealand boxing star Joseph Parker.

The unbeaten Parker squares off with Tupou in Invercargill on August 1.

Tupou has been in camp with Browne, who  is biding his time for a potential world title shot by fighting Argentina's Gonzalo Basile in Melbourne two weeks later.

Browne, who has resisted offers and taunts from the Parker camp to plot his own course towards a shot at a world title, believes Tupou has the size and power to trouble Parker.

"I've been very privileged to have someone like Bowie who has a plethora of experience helping me. To be in the same camp is unbelievable," Brown told Fightnews.com, adding that Tupou had been working overtime on his fitness.

"He's a big boy. When I first met him he was 135kg. He's trimmed own to 120kg at the moment … he's looking great.

"I honestly think if he comes in fit, which I think he will, he's going to give Parker a real run and come away with the win."

Whether Browne is blinded by loyalty remains to be seen.

There's no doubt Tupou has the punch to cause some problems but landing  one is another matter.

Tupou doesn't have the speed to match Parker's lightning hands nor the footwork to avoid an inevitable confrontation.

Tupou comes into the fight with a respectable 25-3 record. He has 17 wins via knockouts but all of his losses have seen him end on the canvas.

He has recovered from consecutive losses in the United States in 2012 to put together a hat-trick of wins against lowly-rated opponents.

Parker has steadily accumulated 14 wins in impressive fashion, 12 via knockouts.

Parker is putting his Pan Asia, WBO Oriental and WBO Africa belts on the line while the Oreintal and Pacific organisation's vacant title is also up for grabs.

While Tupou boasts a respectable No 13 ranking with the WBO, a better guide to his standings in the heavyweight division comes via the respected BoxRec website  which lists him at 143.

Parker, the WBO's No 8 and No 10 with the WBA, is rated No 20 with BoxRec. That puts the Kiwi out of sight with Tupou and even two places higher than Browne in the eyes of an independent outfit.

But when it comes to the biggest belts, Browne's handlers – he is in the stable of British great Ricky Hatton – have manouevred the tattooed giant well.

Unbeaten Browne (22-0 with 19 KOs) is ranked No 3 by the WBA, No 6 by the WBC, and No 13 by the IBF.

Browne, dubbed "Big Daddy", is hoping to edge closer to a world title fight by fighting a WBA championship challenge next March against the winner of Ruslan Chagaev vs Fres Oquendo fight.

 - Stuff 

[gothenaki]

Fenech just on Radio Sport talking up Tupou. Said he's fit and hungry and has knocked down 3 of his sparring partners and sparred 10 rounds with Browne

[shamrock]

Get ready Die......I TOLD YOU SO! lol

[diehard]

Yeah, Sham. But I told YOU that I don't rate AJ or Parker highly until they beat a top 10 guy that's legit. Tupou is close to that. At $7 to $1 odds, you should take Tupou. I would myself if I betted against a Kiwi. I see Parker winning, but those odds are too good to resist.

If Tupou wins, I'll be the first to say that Sham was right, that Parker was overrated. But if Parker KOs him, will you say that Parker has arrived? I've always said that Parker is ticking along nicely, doing the business with what's put in front of him. Tupou is a good test of how far Parker has come, and maybe how far he needs to go.

Would like for Duco to fill out the rest of the undercard.

[gothenaki]

I still think Parker will be much too quick for Tupou, but am definitely looking forward to the fight.

As for our speculation Haumono could be an opponent, a guy under the name cheeko on boxrec said with some authority (in his first ever post);
"Parkers fights are set for the year and don't include solo. Tupou August, then opponents I'm not at liberty to mention for Oct. And Dec."

[shamrock]

Die 1st off we remember that this fight only involves Australasia and doesn't figure on a fightnews top ten analogy. It's a credible fight at last, if Jo handles it well which I'm expecting him to do it will raise his credibility of course. If Tupou brings a stoppage I will be very mindful on how Jo will be feeling in the days after the bout. I won't be saying "I TOLD U SO", I'll leave that to haunt you.....Jo is young enough to recover from a loss and still make some good coin, but I guess a loss will send him overseas as punter appeal factor in Godzilla will fade and duco will be forced to make an honest living.

[mippy]

I wonder how the bulk Parker is putting on will affect his speed.

[diehard]

Sham, I said just out of the top ten, as Tupou is #13 WBO. BTW, Parker is #16 with Fightnews, which is about as close as you're gonna get to one boxing body rating the fighters that's close to the mark.

Depends on how he loses, Sham. If Joe loss by KO, yep, Duco and Joe will struggle. If he loses a UD, he'll live to fight another day, with an injury being the reason. Remember Tua's shoulder against Barrett I?

[cranky]

(07-22-2015, 09:59 PM)gothenaki Wrote: As for our speculation Haumono could be an opponent, a guy under the name cheeko on boxrec said with some authority (in his first ever post);
"Parkers fights are set for the year and don't include solo. Tupou August, then opponents I'm not at liberty to mention for Oct. And Dec."

Interesting. Do we make anything of his lack of response to the question about Leapai and Meehan?