Dillian Whyte vs. Joseph Parker Fight Preview and Prediction to Win
When: Saturday, July 28, 2018
Where: O2 Arena, London, England
TV: Sky Sports
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Titles: None
By Loot, Boxing Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Dillian Whyte, 23-1 (17 KOs), London, England
Vs.
Joseph Parker, 24-1 (18 KOs), South Auckland, New Zealand
Betting Odds: Dillian Whyte (+100), Joseph Parker (-120)
Dillian Whyte takes on Joseph Parker in a battle of high-ranking heavyweights in London at the O2 Arena on July 14. This is a very high stakes battle, as the winner goes to the head of the line of available contenders to receive a title shot. The loser faces an unenviable rebuilding process and loses all momentum. Both are once-beaten, having each lost to current champion Anthony Joshua. Parker lost a world title against Joshua, while Whyte seeks his first world title shot with a win here. One should expect an entertaining battle between two big and gifted heavyweights.
Their respective defeats to Anthony Joshua reveal a lot. Parker's March defeat to Joshua saw him do better in a bottom-line sense, as he lasted the distance whereas Whyte was stopped in the 7th round. Parker was the first man to extend Joshua the distance, showing some resolve and poise in taking the KO artist a full 12 rounds. Let's also point out that Parker fought in a conservative way, whereas Whyte more-actively sought a positive outcome. While Parker deserves credit for going 12 with Joshua, one would have liked to see him pursue a win more-actively. But that's the kind of fighter he is and since getting to the world-class level, he has sought more-conservative routes to victory, with his last four fights going the distance.
Whyte, 30, actually had Joshua badly wobbled, before capitulating in the 7th round of an entertaining fight. In a way, it was a more-honorable performance than Parker's effort against the huge Englishman, but he also fought a pre-championship version of Joshua. It also helps that Whyte has mounted some success since that setback, having scored seven straight wins. Among those wins was a dominant March KO of previously-undefeated Lucas Browne. He has added a layer of polish since losing to Joshua. At 30, he is in his prime. At 6'4" and over 250 pounds, he brings a lot of menace into the ring.
Parker, 26, is facing a relatively quick turnaround for this fight after a taxing 12-rounder in March. He has shown he has what it takes to insulate himself from punishment. Against Whyte, however, he hopes to prevent incoming missiles, while actually launching a winning offense. And with his margin of error being at least a bit bigger here than it was in March, perhaps we'll see a more positive performance from him this time around. As of late, we have seen a more-reserved Parker, as he won hairline decisions over Andy Ruiz and Hughie Fury in championship fights, in addition to the conservative approach he had against Joshua. He's going to need to amp up the intensity for this matchup.
In his last fight, Whyte certainly looked tremendous, though there's a flip-side to that coin, being that Lucas Browne looked completely awful. The win was memorable enough, with Browne being splattered unconscious on the canvas. It's just that emphatic recent memories can be misleading. Just a few months ago, we saw Whyte destroying someone, while also seeing Parker poke and peck his way through a fight in a losing effort. It sets up a jarring dichotomy that might not represent reality.
As of press time, Parker stands as a very mild favorite. That's not totally out of left field. He has been facing opponents that have a lot of skill, whereas more of Whyte's opponents have depended on brawn. That could account for Whyte being more highlight-reel friendly. But don't let that detract from the athleticism and skills of Parker. At 6'4" and with a full set of skills and different punches, he is a handful. His stamina is really above reproach, something that can't necessarily be said of Whyte. He is a well-educated boxer with a deep background and has proven to have a reliable set of whiskers. One backing him would hope this is a more-advantageous matchup for him, one where he can let it hang out more and use his athleticism and heavy hands to better affect.
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While perhaps not as reliable from a chin or stamina standpoint, Whyte has been getting better. He's a very fluid offensive fighter, capable of stringing together nice combinations and explosive single shots. Whyte is very well-schooled with a diverse fighting background that has led to him possessing a certain innateness that makes him one of the smoother big men in the division. He has also shown that he can fight in a more-measured manner in recent showings, which has served him well in insulating himself from his own liabilities as a fighter. He can control distance with a lively and hard jab, with his power shots wielded with great velocity.
Parker seems to be better-tested on some level, however. Whyte's reputation is largely based on wobbling Joshua, though it was a losing effort at the end of the day. His best wins are against guys like Dereck Chisora, Robert Helenius, and Browne. He didn't stop Helenius, who may have been a spent force, with his win over Chisora a close split decision. Parker, meanwhile, faced tougher tests on his way up the ladder, while also holding recent wins over a higher-quality of foe in Fury, Ruiz, and opponents like Carlos Takam.
Parker is fighting a Londoner in London. With a recent propensity of going the distance, that could be a problem. Ideally, Parker would like to get this into the later rounds, where his superior form, resolve, and stamina can take over. But if he fights according to recent form and gives up early rounds, he could paint himself into a corner. Whyte is a powerful heavyweight, but having failed to stop Chisora and Helenius, knocking out Parker could be asking a lot. While he benefits from being at home, does he have the wherewithal to thrive in a long battle of attrition?
It's easy to project a handful of different outcomes. Whyte could drag Parker into a war where anything could happen. It could be a more-measured encounter where both go tit-for-tat. It could be Whyte early and Parker late. Parker could flip the script and try to surprise Whyte with some big early offense. While I completely respect Parker and find him to be more-reliable and maybe even of higher ring IQ, I sense the superior explosiveness of Whyte and the locale of the fight will come more into play. I'm taking Dillian Whyte.
Loot's Pick to Win the Fight: I'm betting on Dillian Whyte at +100 betting odds. Bet this fight for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 at GTBets!
