‘Athletic’ Kiwi favoured
Joseph Parker is getting some heavyweight backing for his world title fight with a former champion believing the Kiwi has the tools to win the WBO belt.
Canadian Bermane Stiverne briefly held the WBC belt before losing it to American Deontay Wilder.
Stiverne knows plenty about Parker, sparring extensively with him in Las Vegas, and feels he has the game to get past the dangerous Ruiz.
‘‘I like Parker. Parker is more athletic. I like him to win the fight. Ruiz is more stationary. He is dangerous but I am going with Parker because he has more tools and I work with him too,’’ Stiverne told
The battle between two unbeaten fighters continues to gain traction with international media on a busy weekend for the division that also sees IBF champion Anthony Joshua defending his belt against American Eric Molina in Manchester.
The respected Ring magazine said the fight was worthy of the ‘‘good buzz’’ it was generating and writer Michael Woods predicted a good, evenly matched fight.
Dan Ambrose, writing for Boxingnews 24, sees Parker v Ruiz as an even fight where the two boxers match up well in key areas, particularly in terms of power.
He believed Ruiz had the faster hands but Parker the superior foot speed and body movement.
The fighters were similarly experienced but Ambrose felt Ruiz had the better ring IQ, being able to instinctively change plans during a round. He also suggested Ruiz might be the more resilient.
‘‘Parker is the favourite to win but that doesn’t mean that Ruiz will necessarily lose the fight. He’s got a real chance of winning.’’
Overt at DBoxation, Glynn Evans was talking up Parker’s physique and game.
‘‘At 6ft 4in tall, a chiselled 17 stone and blessed with a 76in wingspan, Parker possesses all the physical hardware required to flourish among the sport’s giants. His chin remains untested rather than unproven,’’ Evans, a former British amateur fighter, wrote.
‘‘He has a lean and lithe frame, not dissimilar to a young Cassius Clay, and displays the natural athleticism that suggests he would prosper in whatever athletic discipline he embraced.’’