This Saturday afternoon here in the States, Joseph Parker takes on Fabio Wardley live from the O2 Arena in London, streaming on DAZN PPV. Fabio Wardley has never lost in the pro ranks. Joseph Parker is by far the sternest test for Wardley thus far.
Joseph has faced the likes of Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, and Joe Joyce. Yes, that’s 3 losses, but since his last loss, Parker has rattled off six straight victories, albeit his biggest wins came versus guys like Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder, who are clearly past their prime. Martin Bakole is in his prime, but to be fair, he didn’t get a proper training camp. Can Parker keep his winning streak alive to get back to a title shot? Or will youth serve the old as Fabio Wardley continues his climb on the ladder in the heavyweight division?
Many boxing pundits believed Joseph Parker should have gotten a shot at Oleksandr Usyk instead of Daniel Dubois. Parker’s resurgence should be respected; that said, context matters. The string of wins has been impressive, and his discipline in staying with the game plan is the key heading into Saturday’s main event. Parker has managed to get his shots off without being positioned at the end of big punchers like Wilder and, to a lesser extent, Zhang. Zhang did drop Parker twice, so Wardley is more than capable of the same.
Fabio Wardley has been a tad inconsistent in recent outings. Taking care of business before the first meeting, versus Frazer Clarke, Wardley handled Eric Molina, Nathan Gorman, Michael Coffie, and David Adeleye. One could say Fabio was lucky to have come away with a draw against Frazer Clarke. Right on cue, Wardley starched Clarke in the rematch, only to perform well under his standard in June until he stopped Justis Huni in the 10th round.
Look for Parker to establish a firm jab early and often. When Joseph has his jab working, he’s a very accurate power puncher. Keeping Wardley at the end of his jab while using slight movement on the outside will prevent Wardley from getting on the inside. When Fabio does get up close, Parker will need to use a clinch to neutralize Wardley. Working the body is another key for Joseph Parker to wear down Wardley. Fabio must be aggressive using his jab to get inside or at least at close range to land his overhands and looping hooks. Consistent pressure and work rate favor Fabio with youth on his side.
Lunging with his punches is a bad habit for Wardley, so distance is important. This boxing podcaster likes the fight to go the distance, meaning Fabio will have to hurt and/or knock down Parker to win. Parker by decision can be had for +182 or by stoppage –105. If you favor the underdog, the money line is anywhere from +268 up to +300. Fabio can be had at+440 for KO and up to +940 via decision. A two-way fight with Parker landing the cleaner punches at range is the outcome in this boxing junkies mind. Let’s see what happens in the ring on fight night.
My Official Prediction is Joseph Parker by Decision.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, The Grueling Truth Sports Network, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More! Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio