Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker
AT A GLANCE
When is Whyte vs Parker? Saturday 28th July, 2018 - 17:00 start (UK)
Where is Whyte vs Parker? The O2 Arena, London, England
What channel is Whyte vs Parker? Sky Box Office (£19.95)
Are tickets still available for Whyte vs Parker? https://www.stubhub.co.uk/event/103646779?cb=1&sort=price+asc&priceWithFees=false?gcid
THE BREAKDOWN
Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker meet in a colossal clash for the vacant WBO title but both men are more motivated to earn that rematch and glamour title fight against Anthony Joshua. In these big money fights it is hard to predict the scheduling even with ‘mandatory challengers’ but the winner of this fight is likely to meet the winner of Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin or Deontay Wilder to affirm the number one contender for Joshua’s titles. A lot is at stake and both men have a lot to prove so let’s take a look at the tale of the tape:
As you can see, their stats are almost identical and the fight promises to be as close as it is on paper. The biggest difference will be their weight; although they are the same height, Whyte is naturally stockier and is likely to weigh up to 20 pounds more than Parker on the night and plans to use the extra weight along with the two-inch reach advantage to bulldozing effect.
For both contenders, this fight is arguably the closest and most even match-up of their careers and that’s not just on paper. So, how is their form coming into this? Let’s take a look at their last 10 fights:
They have both been very active but with contrasting form and the all-important blotch on their records comes courtesy of Joshua.
Whyte bravely slugged it out with the champ in 2015 and exchanged heavy leather for seven rounds until eating one shot too many and waking up between the ropes. Some say it was a reckless approach but it was an effective game plan to test the head movement of Joshua and served up more damage than his unbeaten foe was used to. It was a devastating defeat but his performance spurred him on to rack up seven straight impressive wins.
Parker blitzed his way up the rankings but stumbled for the first time in his last outing. He suffered his first career loss so now has a huge test of character ahead of him to see how he bounces back against another power puncher. His fight with Joshua was very different to Whyte – he was cautious and hesitant to throw. He was the first man to take Joshua to a decision but it was a lacklustre performance from both men in which the referee succeeded in interrupting the flow of the fight.
So far there is minimal difference on paper but what about the calibre of their opponents? The local scenes at heavyweight are often littered with fighters of minimal experience and quality for that matter. So, let’s take a look at all their opponents and compare their records at the time in which they fought Whyte and Parker:
Not including their loss to Joshua, at first glance Parker appears to have fought better quality opponents. Although he has had one more fight than Whyte, his opponents had won more fights and had collectively won 75% of their fights before fighting Parker. Whyte’s opponents on the other hand, had only won 61% of their fights before meeting the Body Snatcher.
So, what can we expect in this encounter? The fight should be as close as the stats suggest and it promises to be a gritty, intense and ferocious affair. Whyte is coming into this bout in rampaging form and less pressure which will suit his aggressive style. He has the cardio to cause damage in the latter rounds but will hope to to do all the damage early and attack the ribs of Parker and use combinations to set up missiles directed towards the chin of the Kiwi.
Parker has to approach this fight differently to his last. He is going to have to be more assertive and counter Whyte whenever he gets an opportunity. He may be confident of tiring White out and relying on his immense durability but a confident Body Snatcher is a danger to anyone.
