Time for Parker to ditch Barry
Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you’ve enjoyed so many good times together – but it might be time for Joseph Parker and his long-time trainer, Kevin Barry, to go their separate ways after Parker’s poor performance against Junior Fa in Auckland last weekend.
Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) didn’t come close to delivering the statement victory he had promised against fellow south Aucklander Fa (19-1, 10 KOs), battling his way to an unconvincing unanimous decision victory – despite the lopsided scorecards.
It was another underwhelming effort from the former WBO champion, who looked worryingly one-dimensional as he plodded forward round after round throwing an overhand right in search of quick finish of his game but limited opponent.
Fa could see that punch coming from a mile off and was able to tie Parker up and smother his work with alarming regularity. It was clear after three or four rounds that Fa was going to hold and spoil at every opportunity to try to grind out an ugly points win, which begs the question: why didn’t Parker alter his gameplan?
The 29-year-old was too predictable in his attacks in a lacklustre display that did nothing to strengthen his claims for another world title opportunity.
With Fa refusing to engage, Parker needed to mix it up by
showing some feints, targeting the body more and throwing the left hook upstairs. Instead, from the third round onwards he persevered with the same ineffective strategy, which made for a sorry spectacle.
Either Parker had no Plan B, or he wasn’t following Barry’s instructions. Neither scenario reflects well on Barry, and makes you wonder whether it is time for a change in the corner if Parker wants to return to the top of the division again.
Fa was certainly guilty of excessive holding and should have been warned or docked a point by the referee. But the onus was on
Parker to find a way to avoid the clinch and punish Fa with his jab and fast combinations before moving out of the pocket.
In the end, Parker was very lucky to get his hand raised after a scrappy encounter in which Fa arguably showed the better ring generalship.
You could have made a case for a draw or even a close decision in Fa’s favour. Parker may have been the aggressor, but it was rarely effective aggression – you don’t get points for hitting thin air.
But the fact that Parker won on all three scorecards (including one disgraceful 119-109 verdict) shouldn’t
paper over the cracks. This was a bad night at the office for Team Parker. On this evidence, he would be no match for the current champions – or leading contenders, for that matter.
Parker’s laboured showing was reminiscent of his hotly disputed 2017 title defence against Hughie Fury, when he was fortunate to escape Manchester with his WBO belt. That night Parker was also unable to make the necessary adjustments against the awkward Fury when his plan to overpower him didn’t work.
We’ve heard all the usual noises about Parker being rusty after 12 months out of the ring, but it’s not like he was active before the pandemic struck, fighting just once in 2019. Besides, Anthony Joshua came back after a year out in December and looked as good as ever in disposing of Kubrat Pulev, a better fighter than Fa who owns a win over Parker’s likely next foe, Dereck Chisora.
It’s true that styles make fights, and Chisora’s aggressive, comeforward approach will favour Parker. But if you want to be considered one of the world’s best, you need to be able to deal with a range of styles.
This brings us back to Barry. Parker has been admirably loyal to the man who guided him through the ranks and views him like a father figure. And perhaps that’s part of the problem: he’s simply too comfortable and has become complacent under Barry’s tutelage.
From what we’ve seen in his recent fights, Parker has regressed significantly from the explosive, power-punching heavyweight that took the division by storm on his way to capturing a world title.
He still has the tools to make another championship run – fast hands, an iron chin and the stamina to go 12 hard rounds with the very best. He just needs that fear factor that’s missing due to his close relationship with Barry, a fresh voice in his corner and in the gym who will not sugarcoat the truth.
Boxing is a brutal business and the career of a top heavyweight is short. Parker must put himself first and seek out a world-class trainer who can take him to the next level and get the most out of his undoubted ability, before it’s too late.