ON Saturday night, Joseph Parker puts his WBO Interim title and subsequent shot at Oleksandr Usyk on the line, taking on undefeated Briton Fabio Wardley on away soil at the O2 Arena.
Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs), has been on a tear of late, registering six straight victories and overcoming Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole in his last three bouts – a streak that undeniably merits a title shot.
As a result, Parker is poised for an opportunity to face Usyk for the undisputed crown, but rather than wait for the Ukrainian, Parker has admirably agreed to keep active and risk his position.
In Wardley, 19-0-1 (18 KOs), Great Britain is supporting a true underdog, a fighter who turned professional off the back of the white-collar scene with zero amateur fights to his name.
Yet, against all odds, the Ipswich fan-favourite could find himself challenging for the undisputed throne, if he is manages to maintain his unbeaten record and pull off the upset against New Zealand’s former WBO heavyweight champion.
Last time out, on a debut at the true world level, Wardley was being comprehensively outboxed by another Australasian in Justis Huni. However, the hard-hitting former British champion found a stunning equaliser in the tenth to force the heavyweight division to take notice of his power.
Here, Boxing News takes a look at how Parker could prevent a similar defeat, despite his admission that he will take little notice of the Huni fight, and how Wardley could score a statement victory.
Joseph Parker – Keys to Victory
Establish Dominance
Parker has been around the block and will know that his technical abilities and amateur pedigree provide him with a rather obvious game plan of boxing Wardley, as opposed to trading leather from the get-go.
Boxing at range and behind his trusty jab, Parker should be able to bank the early rounds and dictate proceedings by showing Wardley his inferiority in a battle of wits; utilizing his experience and IQ to pick when and where the exchanges take place.
Concentration
Whilst Parker claims the Huni fight has not given him the blueprint to success, at the very minimum it should have shown the Kiwi that any lapse in concentration can be brutally punished by the hard-hitting Brit Wardley.
Now in his fortieth fight, Parker has fought almost solely in 12-round contests since his twelfth outing and gone the full 12 rounds on 11 occasions, compared to Wardley’s sole 12-round experience and Huni’s complete inexperience over the distance.
Therefore, Parker should be far more comfortable keeping focussed down the stretch against Wardley, who will likely be searching for a home-run shot for the vast majority of the fight.
Don’t Get Greedy
Whilst Huni did take his eye off the ball, it was more of a lack of concentration in sticking to the game plan than a momentary frailty, as the Aussie attempted to get Wardley out of there when he seemed to be hurt.
This time around, we expect that Parker will be far more disciplined and will refuse to get over-excited if he manages to buzz the Brit, thus avoiding being dragged into a dogfight.
Equally, should Wardley land a concussive blow of his own, Parker is unlikely to panic and possesses the knowhow and wisdom to buy himself some time and recover.
Fabio Wardley – Keys to Victory
Land Big, Early
Of the seven occasions on which Parker has been knocked down, three have come in the first three rounds. Meanwhile 13 of Wardley’s 18 career stoppages have also come within the first three rounds, including his memorable first-round demolition of Frazer Clarke this time last year.
Against a proven world level operator in Parker, who can start slow, it is imperative that Wardley sets the tone early and shows his opponent that he will not have the fight all his own way.
Therefore, a strong start, during which Parker feels the full force of one of Wardley’s power shots, could see Parker deviate from his planned approach and get drawn into a Wardley-style slugfest.
Be Unorthodox
Most trainers would advise a more textbook style for Wardley, but it seems as though the highly rated Ben Davison is happy with Wardley to take his own path and fight his own way.
Many of Wardley’s knockouts have come from out-and-out aggression, pressure and wild, wide hooks, and whilst Parker is capable of taking advantage with straight counters down the middle, Wardley’s best chance of victory is through his own unique approach.
Parker has faced almost every style imaginable during his extended amateur and professional careers, but in Wardley there is a sense of something new, which should be encouraged rather than coached out of him.
Roughing Parker up and opting for an unorthodox approach could pose a new challenge for the perennial heavyweight contender, whilst trying to outsmart or outbox Parker will probably result in a schooling from the away fighter.
Mix Up the Combinations
One of the best assets that Wardley possesses is his ability to throw tough-to-read combinations that come instinctively with an opening, rather than through premeditated pad work.
His reactions are amongst the best in the heavyweight division, and if he can back Parker up against the ropes or the corner at any point, his intelligent shot selection is sure to inflict damage within milliseconds of a defensive flaw.
