(03-03-2016, 04:06 PM)NakiFan Wrote: Chance nothing? Yet find opponents that can pressure a young fighter who have a chance to win? Sounds like an oxymoron to me.
There is no rush, but considering an injury can happen in a learning fight or a step up, do you keep making minute increases in opponents or take chances when opportunities present?
If you were the promoter or matchmaker, who would you have tried to lure as an opposition against Parker in his fights following Meehan, and how long would you want to hold him back before a shot towards a belt?
Personally I would have gone with
Hammer-Fedosov-Tony Thompson-Takam
These fights would be relatively easy to make (cost wise as Fedosov and TT have been struggling for fights) and would have been a great experience builder for JP, he would have definitely been ready for Takam with these step up fights,
Takam is a sink or swim and nobody knows if Joe will be ready for it because Takam is miles above his best opponent to date
I know its just posturing and marketing but it wasn't long ago Team Parker were defending Joe's level of opponents which had been perceived as too weak by the media and public. They were using the excuse that they were not in a rush for a title shot and Joe had time to develop and the opposition would improve as they worked towards a title shot. Guess what.........the opposition didn't improve in fact it got worse, Bergman would only beat a couple of Joe's previous opponents!!!!
Joe may very well blow Takam out in a round which would prove he is top tier and ready for a shot but he may also get exposed by a guy far better than anyone he has ever fought. How did he go from still developing and not ready to ready by fighting the likes of Tupou, Meehan and especially Martz and Bergman? FFS I don't understand that.
Joe is still young and its a gamble making such a big jump up in class for him. Most guys that jump up that many levels in one fight don't have success tbf.