Joseph Parker

[Kiwi]

What happens to Joe when he gets comfortable with a fighter's shots who is holding them back early on - then unleashes unexpected bombs?

Defensively Joe is being criticized. Maybe for good reason.

And yes - Andrey Fedosov may be a good bet for April.

-Kiwi

[diehard]

Oh please. Please, please, please (me, oh yeah. Beatles). Fury has no power, Wilder is awkward, limited skills and defence, Martin is slow, Klit is anemic, Povetkin is smallish, AJ is slow, and can't take a punch. They all have weaknesses. And strengths. So Parker got hit three times by left hands. It's boxing. He's gonna get hit. I do wish he wouldn't square up when throwing his combinations with his right. He corrected his reaching, thanks to KB.

The WBA holds little interest for Parker, except a ranking. The IBF and WBO is where it's at.

[shamrock]

Povetkin isn't huge, but I think we'll keep away from him in the interim. The others have weaknesses, that's what the fight games all about, to exploit the weaknesses. Defense is a big one, but then it depends on what else the fighter has to make up for his weakness. Jo has speed, Wilder has sudden sleep power same as Klitsckho well and yes AJ. Can't have sudden death power without some speed in where I see it. It's the one who can utilize what he's got and brush up the shortcomings is the one going forward....now let me see, they won't all get there.

[diehard]

Nice article, with quotes by Parker and Bergman.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/76195616/survival-instincts-and-southpaw-style-makes-for-frustrating-night-in-samoa-for-joseph-parker

[diehard]

Sham, with 8-10 heavyweights vying for titles, or holding onto them, it's an exciting time. Wlad was a great champ, and will go into the Hall of Fame, but his time is closing to an end. Would love to see him KO Fury and then retire. No need to continue.

[Kiwi]

Man - if Wlad does that it could well ruin Fury's career.

But I can't see it.

-Kiwi

[diehard]

Just saw the fight again. When Parker throws the right hand, he drops it, opening himself up to a counter left hand, either by a southpaw or a left hook by an orthodox fighter. I think Joe believes that the right hand will do damage, and he doesn't need to worry about being countered. That's true when the fighter is in defensive mode, but when the opponent is looking to counter, as Bergman was early on, Joe is gonna get hit. And Bergman is slow. Glad he wasn't in there with Ortiz, which is why it was smart not to face a top southpaw first up.

Interesting that Bergman fought the whole fight on the back foot. Would have been interesting to see what Parker would have done if Bergman had come forward.

[diehard]

Bergman says Parker hits much harder than Wilder:

Joseph Parker set for major step up as promoters eye shot at heavyweight title

Joseph Parker has beaten Jason Bergman by TKO after the ref called a end to the fight in the eighth round.

Expect a significant step up in opposition the next time you see Joseph Parker in the ring as his promoters look to put him in position for a shot at the heavyweight title in the next 12 months.

Parker was given a much sterner test than many predicted in Samoa on Saturday night, with American southpaw Jason Bergman showing he was nothing if not durable in hanging around until the eighth round.

It was the culmination of a busy period for the 24-year-old Kiwi, his sixth fight in 10 months to improve his record to a perfect 18-0.

But while Parker takes a well-earned three-week break, Duco Events partners David Higgins and Dean Lonergan will be busy finalising plans for an Christchurch bout in April in what is expected to be a huge year for their prize fighter.

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Duco are hoping to manoeuvre Parker into a mandatory contender spot in one of the major boxing organisations, with WBO and WBA champion Tyson Fury or IBF holder Charles Martin seen as their most likely route to a title fight.

Parker is ranked third in the WBO and seventh in the IBF.

"We're looking at a South Island fight in mid-April and we're going to step up quite dramatically this year," Higgins said.

"Kevin's (trainer Kevin Barry) pointed out it was a southpaw challenge this time and after the break we're looking to really attack that world title so you'll expect to see significant steps up."

Asked which fighters they are looking at for April, Higgins added: "I think we're probably back to orthodox guys probably within the top 20 and then stepping hard, top 10 and beyond."

It is expected to be another busy year for the talented South Aucklander with a July date also on the cards.

And that could well be a defining fight for the talented South Aucklander.

"You'll likely get a eliminator-type fight mid-year," Higgins said.

"There's politics, sometimes it comes quicker and sometimes it takes longer but I think the guys are doing are great job and are on the right track."

Deontay Wilder is the other major title-holder in the division, successfully defending his WBC belt in New York last week on the same card where Martin beat Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov for the vacant IBF strap.

In preparing for his victory over Poland's Artur Szpilka, Wilder held several sparring sessions with Bergman, who was reluctant to compare his fellow American with Parker in the post-fight press conference.

But Higgins said he was much more forthcoming away from the media.

"I found it fascinating Bergman pretending Joe wasn't hurting him in the comments said because it's very different to what Bergman said to Dean Lonergan straight after the fight, in fact quite the opposite.

"Dean said how does he compare, and Bergman's words were that Joe punches much harder and in bunches and is a better fighter."

Saturday's fight held extra significance for Parker being held at the birthplace of his parents, Dempsey and Sala.

Higgins admitted there was a big financial risk staging the fight away from New Zealand, but he was pleasantly surprised at how well the week turned out.

"We went into it with trepidation, [it's] easy just doing business in New Zealand, you know everyone, you know the market.

"There's a lot of hard work, a lot of travel, we thought we might lose a lot of money. We're certainly not going to get rich out of it but it's been more successful than we've anticipated."

[shamrock]

Hmm, so we've already got one answer, no top ten fight in April

[Kiwi]

If they are looking at someone like Andrey Fedosov then he is more like Top-25 than Top-10.

That makes more sense to me. Otherwise it wouild be a big jump up.

Then July for the big boys.

-Kiwi