Roy Jones Jr. believes there could be an upset on the Day of Reckoning card
Four-weight world champion-turned-boxing trainer Roy Jones Jr. gave his prediction for the two co-main events topping the bumper Day of Reckoning show in Saudi Arabia on December 23, 2023.
Briton Anthony Joshua tackles Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin, while fearsome KO artist Deontay Wilder faces former world champion Joseph Parker two days before Christmas.
Both Joshua and Wilder have been in talks for many months and a 2024 mega-fight between the pair is set to be announced any day, but only on the premise that they each emerge from their respective festive fights victorious. Both rivals are the bookies favourites, but the 54-year-old boxing legend, known as RJJ, has a sneaky suspicion that one of these rivals is facing an upset.
Speaking to Action Network, Jones Jr said:
"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. Parker brings more jeopardy to Deontay than Wallin brings to Joshua because if AJ is right and his mind's right, he's a much better fighter.
"Wallin is also a good fighter but AJ has got another gear in him that Wallin may not have. I haven't seen enough from Wallin to suggest he can beat AJ. I don't think Wallin is banana skin, I think if Joshua comes prepared he'll be ok, but if he doesn't come prepared then there's a problem, like when Fury didn't come prepared for Ngannou. But I am expecting Joshua to deal with Wallin."
The boxing legend doesn’t look likely to remain in retirement anytime soon as he is speculated to now be possibly fighting Anderson Silva if the Tommy Fury fight falls through, he confirmed, "I am still being contacted about doing an exhibition with Anderson Silva on a legends card in Saudi Arabia, so if the Tommy Fury fight doesn't happen that's another one in discussion. The Saudis know how long that fight has been brewing and they still want to make it happen, so let's see."
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