Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Who wins and how?
Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42KO) and Joseph Parker (33-3, 23KO) will clash in a 12-round heavyweight battle on Saturday, December 23, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Christmas Eve-Eve contest pits two former world champions against each other, with a mega showdown against Anthony Joshua on offer for the winner in 2024, providing he wins his fight with Otto Wallin on the same festive fight night. At this advanced stage of their respective careers, a loss really would result in a huge setback, so there is a lot at stake here.
BBN asked their panel of industry experts for their picks:
Abel Sanchez
Boxing Trainer
"Wilder’s power will always be a catalyst in his fights, his inactivity will not be a factor in the outcome, but by saying that, Parker’s activity this year will play a part early, the fight will be a slugfest until Wilder lands his right hand, probably between 7-9 rounds."
Roy Jones Jr.
Four-weight world champion
"Joe Parker needs to avoid Wilder's big right hand, if he can do that, he definitely has a chance because Parker is a very good boxer, better than people think he is, but he has to avoid that big right hand because he's shown his susceptible to power in the past and Wilder has the biggest punch in the heavyweight division.
"We're trying to get to a Wilder versus Joshua next, and if they both come in prepared and they come in shape, they should prevail. But the biggest threat in either of those fights is Joe Parker because if he can figure out Deontay Wilder's right hand, Joe Parker can really pull off the upset against Wilder, and because he has good boxing skills, he can be a real problem against Wilder who is very one-dimensional. He can be quite easy to deal with."
Oskari Metz
European title contender
"Wilder vs. Parker, man, it’s an interesting matchup, though it would have been nicer to see in 2016.
"Wilder hits hard, but Parker doesn’t go down easy. Parker did go the distance with Joshua when Joshua was knocking everybody out. Even though Parker may have been more active lately, has he been doing hard camps or just kind of routine training? Wilder may have been training as well, so I don’t think Parker’s activity is necessarily going to be a big advantage… I’m gonna go ahead and pick Wilder to win. He has that monstrous power, coupled with his height and reach, I think Parker will get caught before he can get into punching range."
Steve Wood
VIP Promotions
"Wilder KO inside first half."
Matt Marsh
Former British champion
"I think Wilder stop Parker within three rounds – too much power for Parker, so it's an early stoppage."
Barry McGuigan
Former world champion
"I think this is a really tough fight for him [Wilder]. Joseph Parker's a very good fighter and has a good chin.
"Andy Lee's a very good coach, clever tactically, so this is a much tougher fight than I think Wilder imagines it is. But he's got that equalizer and you can never write him off.
"He can knock you out in the first and 12th round – and that's the most exciting thing about him. This is not an easy fight. Parker's got a great chance. "
Carl Froch
Former world champion
"I think Wilder does do the business against Joseph Parker.
"Joseph Parker is always a capable fighter. He's got that loss to Dillian Whyte, he's been in a couple of close fights, obvioulsy Anthony Joshua's already beaten him.
"I would expect Deontay Wilder to probably beat Parker in style, knock him out."
Marshall Kauffman
Boxing Promoter
"I think that even though Wilder has not fought for 14 months and Parker has been active, I still think Wilder wins this fight and this is how he wins:
"The time off for Wilder would be even better since it gives him more time to work with Malik Scott who has done a fantastic job with him.
"I believe that Joseph Parker will have his moments in the fight early but Wilder will be able to use his jab and then eventually put Parker away with his devastating powerful right hand as Parker will not be able to get out of the way!
"Wilder by KO within six rounds."
Tim Rickson
BBN Editor
"I know everyone must be picking Wilder to score a knockout against Parker, and I have to agree.
"However, with Parker so active – fourth fight of the year – and Tyson Fury and Andy Lee on hand to provide all the data he needs for fight night, I'm hoping these small gains can lead to an even battle.
"But, in reality, Wilder's inactivity has never affected his performance before. After a year out the ring he destroyed Robert Helenius in under three minutes, who had sparred dozens of rounds with him so all that inside intel didn't help one bit.
"Wilder floored Fury four times over 23 rounds (disregarding the seven-round beatdown in the rematch, where Wilder wasn't even in the fight), and he has dropped every single opponent he has faced, so this is a fate that Parker will inevitably have to face himself. I'm not convinced he has the aggression or power to really dictate the fight, bully Wilder or pressure him, like Fury was able to. Parker is most comfortable on the backfoot, so I imagine this will be his tactic, but whether he chooses to go backwards or forwards, Wilder can land in either scenario. Fury took six shots on average per round from Wilder, and Parker isn't as good as his friend, so he can expect the same or higher.
"I'm hoping Parker will be good for the first few rounds, it took Joe Joyce 11 rounds to stop him, even after cutting his eye in the seventh and really piling on the pressure, it took another five rounds to land that fight-ending blow, which he still got back up from, so we cannot question Parker's chin and heart. He's won from nine from his last 10, since back to back losses to AJ and Dillian Whyte in 2018, but his best wins were against Derek Chisora.
"However, Joyce's shots are thudding and accumulative, but Wilder's punches are sharp and fast like bullets, so I expect Wilder to stop him much earlier between rounds 3-6."
Ryan Clark
Buy My Fight Co-Founder
"I think Wilder will KO Parker.
"I can’t stand Wilder's style and don’t rate him as a boxer, but purely as Parker has seemed slow and lethargic in his recent fights, I think he’s reached his peak a few years ago. He will be too easy for a big windmill or two to catch him, and once Wilder smells blood he goes for it."
Ben Day
Former Southern Area champion
"Wilder is knocking Parker out by round six."
Sergio Michel
Musician & Boxing Superfan
"If both men's past performances are the guide, the most likely scenario could be: Joseph Parker will be evading and outboxing Deontay Wilder until he gets caught. Most probable way to win for Joe would be to box a perfect match and get a points victory.
"Wilder obviously favored for a KO win."
Arijan Goricki
IBO International featherweight title contender
"My prediction is Wilder by KO in the eighth round.
"I think that Parker's lifestyle isn't a good one, he isn't disciplined anymore and that will be shown in the ring."
Bogdan Musat
Boxing Manager
"I think Wilder is too strong for Parker and the final will a be one-punch KO until round four."
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