Former WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker celebrates his thirty third birthday right now, and the warrior from New Zealand is aiming to have loads to rejoice this February 22, when he’ll try to take Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight belt to change into a two-time heavyweight champ. Can Parker do it?
The age of 33 is in no way thought of a complicated age for a fighter today, particularly not a heavyweight. Parker, although, does have loads of miles on the clock. At 35-3(23), his file compiled since July of 2012, Parker is a fighter who appears to have been round for a heck of a very long time. However there’s nothing to counsel Parker is a pale drive, not after we take a look at his latest kind. If something, Parker might be at his finest proper about now.
Since he started working with coach Andy Lee in 2021, Parker has rebounded from a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce to attain huge wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. And Parker may simply be some of the skilled heavyweights on the market right now, having been in with Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora (twice), Joyce, Wilder, and Zhang.
Parker feels his nice expertise will see him to victory when he fights Dubois subsequent month. Perhaps. However Dubois, like Parker, is on a roll proper now, with the 27-year-old having scored wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Joshua in his final three outings. Some folks – Chisora, for one – really feel Dubois’ energy shall be an excessive amount of for Parker and that the reigning IBF heavyweight will cease Parker (Dubois just lately mentioned he picks Dubois to cease Parker inside 5 rounds). Whereas others, corresponding to Eddie Hearn, are choosing Parker to defeat Dubois.
It’s a probably nice struggle, and Parker, if he can win it, could be champion once more seven years after dropping his WBO belt in opposition to Joshua of their unification struggle. It will be some achievement if Parker might make historical past as New Zealand’s first-ever two-time heavyweight champion. Parker defeated AJ conqueror Ruiz to win the vacant WBO heavyweight belt, and he made two profitable defenses, one in all which got here in a struggle with Hughie Fury.
Now, although, Parker might be on the verge of not solely making boxing historical past however, with a win over Dubois, going into a few huge, huge fights. Parker would like to struggle Oleksandr Usyk, and who is aware of, if he can beat Dubois, perhaps Parker will get his likelihood to change into a unified champion. Now, that will be big for Parker and for his nation.
One of the genuinely good guys within the sport, Parker has loads of folks rooting for him. Who is aware of, perhaps the most effective might nonetheless be to come back from Joe Parker’s profession.
Who’re YOU choosing to win on February 22 – Dubois or Parker?
