Parker-Wardley to end early in “Firefight”

Joseph Parker’s trainer, Andy Lee, predicts tonight’s fight with WBA interim heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley will be a “firefight” which could end at the O2 Arena in London at any moment. Lee jokingly says the competition will not make it to the later rounds. “It’s going to be over in two,” with Parker scoring a quick knockout.

(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)

Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) faces his toughest test in a year in the form of the 30-year-old Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs). Although Joseph has beaten several well-known heavyweights of late, they were older fighters—Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder—and not in great physical shape.

“Firefighting from the first bell”

“I think it will be a shootout. Both guys will drop their hands,” coach Andy Lee said. Box nowpredicting the type of fight that will take place tonight between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley.

It’s easier to predict it’s going to be a firefight from Wardley’s side because that’s how he always fights. Parker is more likely to use his retro Chris Byrd style tonight to move around and fight defensively. Joseph fights nothing like the all-action style he had earlier in his career when Kevin Barry trained him.

“Wardley is dangerous. There’s not going to be any later rounds. It’ll be over in two,” Lee said, jokingly predicting an early knockout for Parker. “No, it could go anytime. These two guys hit hard.”

It would be foolish for trainer Lee to assume that Parker will obliterate Fabio Wardley in two rounds as he did his last opponent, Martin Bakole, earlier this year on February 22nd. Bakole. He came into the fight weighing a colossal 310 pounds, and he was in no shape for an athletic contest.

Wardley looked in better shape than Parker on the scales last Friday, with his waist and physique looking trim. It’s youth and commitment. If anyone was going to be slower, it would be Parker, as he weighed in at 262 1/2 pounds. That’s heavier than the 255 1/2 pounds he weighed in in his 11th-round knockout loss to Joe Joyce on September 24, 2022.

Lee outlines Parker’s blueprint

“Using boxing IQ, hitting, moving and being who he is,” Lee said when asked how Parker could defeat Wardley. “If he beats Fabio, there is no one else to fight. Hopefully Usyk will do the right thing and give him a chance.”

As you can see, Lee is worried about whether champion Usyk will agree to defend against Parker next if he emerges victorious tonight. There is really no other option for Oleksandr to fight. He has already turned down a fight against Moses Itauma.

If Parker wins tonight, it will be him and WBC Interim Champion Agit Kabayel as the most deserving for a world title against Usyk.