Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker Odds: Our Top Tips For The Heavyweight Fight

British heavyweight boxer Joe Joyce will put his unbeaten record on the line when he fights former world champion Joseph Parker in Manchester this weekend.

NZ sports betting make Joyce the favourite after he knocked out Christian Hammer in July, leaving him with a perfect 14-0 record.

However, he will face a stern test of his mettle against New Zealander Parker, who has rattled off six consecutive victories since losing to Dillian Whyte in 2018.

Joyce boasts a height and reach advantage over the 30-year-old Kiwi, and he should also benefit from strong home support at Manchester’s AO Arena, but Parker’s hand speed, deft footwork and defensive prowess will make him a tricky opponent.

The winner of this bout will be in line for a title shot against Oleksandr Usyk, so the stakes are high, and it promises to develop into an entertaining clash.

Parker Bids To Return To The Top of the Division

Parker is seven years younger than Joyce, but he is far more experienced as a professional fighter. 

He made his pro debut back in 2012, and he racked up a 21-0 record by the time he fought Andy Ruiz Jr. for the WBO heavyweight title in 2016.

It was a tight battle, which Parker won courtesy of a mixed decision. The Auckland-based heavyweight mounted successful title defences against Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury, and he then faced the biggest challenge of his career when he tangled with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.

He put his WBO heavyweight title on the line, while AJ defended his WBA (Super), IBF and IBO heavyweight belts. Parker lost via a unanimous decision, but he was the first man to avoid a knockout defeat to Joshua.

The Kiwi then lost to Whyte following another unanimous decision, but he has since beaten Alexander Flores, Alex Leapai, Shawndell Winters, Junior Fa and Derek Chisora (twice), taking his record to 30-2. He has never been knocked out.

Can The Juggernaut Be Stopped?

Joyce only turned professional in July 2017, aged 31, but he has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past five years.

He knocked out his first nine opponents with ease, before beating Bryant Jennings courtesy of a unanimous decision in 2019. Since then, he has beaten Michael Wallisch, the highly-rated Daniel Dubois, Carlos Takam and Hammer.

13 of his 14 victories have come via knockout, and he has earned the nickname Juggernaut thanks to his formidable punching power.

Joyce is now 37 years old, so he needs to move quickly if he is to realise his dream of becoming a world champion.

The winner of this fight will clinch the WBO interim heavyweight title. That means Parker should land a showdown with Usyk (a bout he would rated a huge underdog for by boxing betting sites) if he can get the better of Parker at AO Arena this weekend.

Quick Feet And Lateral Movement Key For Parker

Jennings is the only man to avoid being knocked out by Joyce, as the Juggernaut struggled to deal with his slippery style.

That bodes well for Parker, who is blessed with terrific footwork, sharp lateral movement, quick hands and a tight defence.

Joshua and Whyte are ferociously powerful punchers, but they could not put Parker down, so he will fancy his chances of going the distance against Joyce.

The Brit is often disdained for his lethargic hand speed, and some critics have said it looks as though he is throwing punches under water at times.

Parker will need to use his superior agility and sprightliness if he is to defy the odds of 6/4 with William Hill secure victory in this fight.

He looks reinvigorated since teaming up with trainer Andy Lee, and he will be undaunted by the prospect of facing Joyce, having previously been in the ring with more venerated opponents in the past.

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Joyce Needs To Dominate With The Jab

Joyce would appear to have the advantage in every other department. He is taller than Parker, with a four-inch reach advantage.

The Juggernaut is certainly more powerful than his opponent. He may be a little cumbersome, but he still boasts impressive stamina.

Joyce weighed in at a hefty 265.9 pounds (120.9 kg) in his last fight against Hammer, but he still is very direct and absolutely relentless, which has allowed him to overwhelm every opponent thus far.

He uses his bulk to bully opponents, and we can expect to see him leaning on Parker to sap the Kiwi’s strength.

Both men have strong chins. Joyce has never been put down as a professional, despite taking some heavy blows. 

Parker has hit the canvas three times - twice against Whyte and once against Chisora - but he has always managed to shake it off and come back stronger.

As such, it is hard to see either man winning this one by knockout, and a bet on the fight to go the distance at 8/15 with BetVictor looks appealing.

Parker can throw blistering combinations, and he should perform well in the opening rounds, but Joyce’s relentless style could ultimately sway the judges on UK soil.

He will have the crowd on his side, he is likely to appear as the aggressor for the second half of the fight and he has a superior engine, so he looks well-priced to secure a tight points win at 6/4 with sports betting nz. 

If he can exploit his superior reach, dominate with the jab and cut the ring off, he will extend his record to 15-0.

However, it could be close, so hedging with a smaller stake on Parker to win via decision (10/3) and even a tiny bet on a draw (20/1) would be prudent.