As fight fans know, we will get quite the stacked card on December 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two former heavyweight champions who will each share the bill, this being Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, are also seen as the top of the bill, above fine fighters such as light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol and cruiserweight Jai Opetaia. But who will actually headline the December 23 card, as in who will fight last on the night? Will it be/should it be Joshua-Otto Wallin, or will it be/should it be Wilder-Joseph Parker?
Joshua fans would argue that the former two-time heavyweight champ is the bigger star of the two globally, while Wilder’s supporters will argue how the former WBC heavyweight champion is the far more exciting fighter.
This is actually the argument Wilder has put forth himself on the issue, with “The Bronze Bomber” telling 78SPORTSTV that he should be the headline act on the card that will go down two days before Christmas Day, this because of the KO power he shows and the knockouts he delivers when he fights.
“The [Saudis] came up with it, the orders [of the fights],” Wilder said. “The only thing I’m not certain of is whether I’m gonna be the main event or Joshua gonna be the main event. I requested them to do a coin flip. Let’s see what happens. I feel I should be main event because of what I carry. People wanna see knockouts. We know for sure if you wanna see that, who the man to get? I always say women lie, men lie, but numbers do not lie. They be wanting the knockout king, a body on that canvas shaking and all that kind of s**t.”
Maybe there will be a coin flip to decide this, maybe there will not be. Who do YOU feel should be the main event here?
As for Wilder scoring a KO and leaving “a body on that canvas shaking and all that kind of s**t,” can Wilder flatten Parker, and will he score a devastating KO if he does get one?
Some fans have actually suggested, with some good sense, that Tyson Fury and maybe Luis Ortiz aside, Parker will represent the best and highest ranked foe Wilder has ever faced, or will face. Parker is no gimmie for Wilder, the former WBO heavyweight champ is no fall guy. Sure, Wilder is the favourite and rightly so, but Parker will give it his all, his trainer Andy Lee will come up with a solid game plan, and Wilder might really have to fight hard to get that KO win.
Then again, plenty of people see Wallin as a live dog against AJ. Come to think of it, it’s not that easy to say which heavyweight fight should be the headlining fight here.
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