‘Live underdog’ Parker can win

Joseph Parker has been rated a ‘‘live underdog’’ with the ability to knock out Anthony Joshua by Ring magazine, dubbed ‘‘the Bible of Boxing’’

Final talks between the camps’ promoters continue in London to seal a highly-anticipated world heavyweight unification fight where Parker puts his WBO belt on the line and Joshua risks his IBF and WBA titles.

Predictions continue in general media and specialist boxing publications.

None have more respect than Ring magazine, who have been covering the sport from the United States since 1922 and even have their own belts for each of the boxing’s weight divisions.

They were looking at the ramifications and likely outcomes of two juicy matchups on the table – WBC champion Deontay Wilder against giant Cuban Luis Ortiz on March 3 and Parker v Joshua which is tentatively scheduled for March 31 if the promoters can get it across the line.

Ring acknowledge Joshua’s favouritism but warn not to rule out Parker in a fight where both fighters enter with unbeaten records.

‘‘I consider Wilder and Joshua to be clear favourites in their upcoming title bouts in March, but I view Ortiz and Parker as live underdogs,’’ Ring editor Doug Fischer wrote.

‘‘I think Wilder can trouble Ortiz with his speed and lateral movement and gradually wear down the dangerous Cuban southpaw to a late stoppage, and I believe that Joshua can do the same to Parker with smart pressure.

‘‘The key to victory for both odds favourites, in my opinion, is their jabs. The sooner they establish their left stick, the sooner they will assume control of the fight.

‘‘Now, will I be shocked if Wilder or Joshua have to survive a wobbly moment or two after getting clocked with a clean shot? Not at all. I won’t be that surprised if either gets dropped. A KO upset in either fight is not out of the realm of possibility.

‘‘That’s why we’re into these matchups. The heavyweight div- ision is heating up.’’

Fischer’s predictions come on top of British writer Alan Hubbard tipping Parker to upset Joshua.

Hubbard’s article needs to be taken with a grain of salt as it comes in his regular column for the website of Frank Warren, the British promoter who operates in opposition to Joshua’s boss Eddie Hearn.

But Hubbard knows his boxing and talked up Parker’s strong chin and ring-craft despite labelling him ‘‘a relatively humdrum heavyweight’’.

He also continued the growing theory that Joshua’s preoccupation with body building was working against him.

‘‘It would not surprise me to see Anthony Joshua lose his trio of heavyweight crowns to WBO holder Joseph Parker in the spring,’’ Hubbard wrote.

‘‘AJ seems to have accumulated a tad too much muscle of late, which is restricting his mobility – and he will need to be nifty against Parker who is a mover rather than a shaker.

‘‘Parker may not be the greatest of world heavyweight champions but he is a capable boxer who seems to have a decent chin and knows how to use the ring to steer clear of danger.

‘‘But perhaps more ominously I fear that AJ may be due an off night after four years and 20 winning bouts and that the Samoan-born Kiwi [sic], relatively humdrum heavyweight as he may be, looks just the type who might nudge Big Josh towards a sensational points defeat.’’

Meanwhile, Hearn emerged from his meeting with Parker’s promoter David Higgins in a confident mood.

‘‘I think we are fairly close, we’re probably a few days away [from announcing the fight],’’ he told Behind The Gloves.

‘‘There are some issues we could fall out on but generally, we should get it over the line from here, hopefully next week,’’ Hearn said.

Joshua backed up the imminent announcement of the fight with his latest tweet featuring a video of him completing a length of a swimming pool under water, captioned: ‘‘Hold your breath, news coming soon.’’