Five keys to unlock victory for Parker
OPINION: The wait is almost over.
In nine days’ time, Joseph Parker will step inside the ring in front of 80,000 baying Brits at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and attempt to make New Zealand sporting history by unifying world heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua.
The scale of the challenge that awaits him on March 31 (April 1 NZT) cannot be underestimated. The 26-year-old heads into this historic showdown in Wales as a significant betting underdog.
Joshua has the stronger amateur pedigree (winning Olympic gold at London 2012), a more impressive professional resume (largely thanks to that epic win over long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko) and is fighting on home turf.
The Englishman has also become accustomed to appearing on the big stage – will Parker be able to cope with the pressure when he enters the lion’s den in the Welsh capital?
We will find out on the night, but the early signs are encouraging. The WBO champion has looked calm, focused and confident during the buildup to his date with destiny. As an unbeaten fighter, he’s entitled to be.
For the first time in his career, Parker does not have the weight of expectation on his shoulders. That burden lies squarely with the Briton, whose team have already been plotting his path beyond Parker to riches in the US and an eventual superfight with Deontay Wilder to unify all the belts.
If Joshua is looking past
Parker, he could be in for a rude awakening. Here are five keys to the fight for the New Zealander if he is to upset the odds and add the IBF, IBO and WBA straps to his waist.
1. STAY ON THE MOVE
One area in which Parker holds an advantage is in his quickness of hand and foot. The Kiwi must put that to good use in order to make Joshua miss and pay.
Forget the pre-fight bravado about meeting in the centre of the ring. If Parker marches forward from the opening bell he plays right in Joshua’s hands and could be in for a short night. A lot has been said and written about his supposed granite chin, but Parker is yet to be hit clean by a big puncher like Joshua and is advised to keep it that way if he wants to fulfil his dream of unifying the division.
The best strategy early on would be to use his speed to box on the back foot, pile up the points and make the comparatively flatfooted Briton chase him around the ring. This would frustrate Joshua and negate his strong inside game, as well as ask questions of his stamina later in the fight. Parker’s faster hands and footwork will enable him to launch short, sharp attacks before moving out of the pocket to avoid the returning fire. He is unlikely to challenge the bigger, stronger Joshua’s supremacy up close, so needs to nullify that size and strength advantage by keeping out of range and avoiding the clinch.
The fact Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry has gone on the record to say he wants his fighter to come in much lighter than he did in his past two lacklustre performances suggests this is exactly what he plans to do on the night.
2. ESTABLISH THE JAB
With so much at stake, Joshua and Parker are likely to spend the first couple of rounds feeling each other out and allowing their nerves to settle on the biggest night of their respective careers.
Neither man will want to get caught cold, so it’s vital that Parker immediately establishes his jab in order to find his range and gain Joshua’s respect.
The Aucklander has one of the best jabs in the division – when he bothers to use it. Last time out against Hughie Fury he largely neglected this trusty weapon, opting to march forward and throw wild hooks and right hands without any real concern about what was coming back at him.
He will need to be more vigilant when facing a concussive puncher like Joshua. Bum-rushing the Brit in the same reckless fashion would be a suicidal strategy.
With Parker conceding around 10cm in reach, his jab must be both fast and accurate to keep Joshua at bay and set up his power shots and blurring combinations. The Kiwi once boasted of being the ‘‘fastest heavyweight on the planet’’ and those quick hands of his will be key to consistently beating his giant rival to the punch.
3. KEEP CALM AND STICK TO THE GAME PLAN
Fighting in front of almost 80,000 people and a global audience of millions is unchartered territory for Parker. For Joshua, it’s the new norm.
The Londoner has grown accustomed to the limelight and the pressure it brings and is unlikely to be fazed when he steps out at the Principality Stadium, having last fought there in December when he battled his way to a 10th-round TKO victory over Carlos Takam.
Parker has talked a good game about being mentally strong and excited to put on a show for the watching world, but he’s only human and is bound to have few butterflies when he walks to that ring to the sound of jeers from Joshua’s adoring crowd.
He cannot allow himself to be overawed by the occasion and must keep his emotions in check when that first bell sounds. Any sign of nervousness is likely to be seized upon by Joshua, who has openly questioned whether Parker is ready for a fight of this magnitude.
It is imperative that Parker sticks to the game plan drawn up by his trainer and does not lose his head and get drawn into a shootout that would surely benefit Joshua. That much-vaunted mental toughness will be put to the test on the biggest stage possible in Cardiff.
4. STAY OFF THE ROPES
Parker has shown a worrying habit of retreating to the ropes when under sustained fire, as he did against Takam and to a lesser extent Andy Ruiz Jr. He would be advised not to do the same against the big-punching Joshua.
The Brit has seemingly mastered the art of trapping his prey on the ropes and unloading vicious hooks, uppercuts and right hands to force a stoppage, with a significant number of his fights ending in this fashion. Parker cannot afford to give Joshua the chance to tee off and the referee an excuse to step in.
Joshua may not be a one-punch KO artist like Wilder, but when he has his opponent cornered with nowhere to go a barrage of blows to the body and head is usually enough to get the job done.
Parker needs to make full use of the ring and keep out of harm’s way, using his speed and footwork to avoid getting backed up into a corner, right where Joshua wants him. If he does find himself on the ropes, the Kiwi will need to show improved defence and head movement, something which has been sorely lacking in recent fights.
Takam, Ruiz Jr and Fury were all able to land on Parker with alarming regularity, though so far his chin has stood up to scrutiny. Whether it will be able to withstand Joshua’s heavy hands is another matter, and not a theory Parker should be in a rush to test if he wants to retain his world champion status.
5. TAKE THE FIGHT LATE
Joshua’s stamina issues are well documented and were exposed somewhat in his thrilling victory over Klitschko last April. The 28-year-old was out on his feet after punching himself out in the fifth round when he sent the Ukrainian to the canvas.
He almost paid a high price for his over eagerness, but the ageing Klitschko lacked the killer instinct to finish him off when he had Joshua down and hurt in the seventh.
Parker has vowed not to make the same mistake should he have his man in trouble.
Unlike the Kiwi, who has gone the full 12 rounds in four of his last six contests, Joshua is yet to hear the final bell, having stopped all 20 of his opponents inside the scheduled distance. Question marks thus remain over his ability to fight at a fast pace for a sustained period while carrying so much extra muscle.
Parker has no such doubts about his conditioning, and would be wise to set a high tempo and try and drag Joshua into the later rounds when he inevitably slows down and becomes a more stationary and hittable target.
Joshua will be under pressure to make a statement after his uninspiring performance last time out, so if Parker can survive the expected early onslaught, he has a great chance of taking advantage of the openings in the second half of the fight when his superior speed and fitness will come into play.
If he follows this blueprint, then that boyhood dream of becoming the unified heavyweight champion might just become a reality.