In a way, Anthony Joshua carries the hopes of boxing’s heavyweight division on his big, broad shoulders. He will, of course, take on Joseph Parker in a heavyweight title unification fight on 31st March in Cardiff (Principality Stadium). The stakes couldn’t be higher for the two fighters – nor for heavyweight boxing.
Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) puts his IBF, IBO and WBA (Super) belts on the line in the hope of taking the WBO belt off Parker (24-0, 18KOs). The prize on offer beyond that – for either fighter – will be the chance to gun down Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt, thereby crowing the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly two decades (Lennox Lewis in 1999, if you were wondering).
Joshua huge favourite in betting odds
The expectation is that Joshua wins the fight – he is priced around 1/10 with the majority of bookmakers. But, for the hype around the British fighter to continue to grow after the bout, he must win it convincingly. He is 1/3 to win by KO/TKO and stretch that perfect KO record to 21-0. A victory on judges’ decision for Joshua comes in at 9/2 and the draw at 40/1.
Parker has his backers though, with plenty believing the tough New Zealander has enough grit to last the distance with Joshua at the very least. He can be backed around 6/1 to win the fight and there is evidence from bookmakers that lots of bets have been placed on him. He is 9/1 to win by KO/TKO and a huge 25/1 to win by decision – just like his last three fights. The betting is expected to be heavy, with lots of bookies’ promotions, so check out this guide for free bets for Joshua vs. Parker.
Media keen to crown Joshua as boxing’s new golden boy
The media is keen to anoint a new king of heavyweight boxing and they see to have settled on Joshua to fill that role. That’s part of the reason he needs to win this fight with a bit to spare. They are already selling the Joshua vs. Wilder fight, in fact, bookmakers have already priced Joshua at 4/9 to beat the New Yorker (21/10) in a potential fight. Parker is exactly the type who will play spoiler however.
Indeed, Parker has probably ‘won’ the trash-talking in the lead up to the fight. He has, with little evidence to back it up, focused on Joshua’s ‘glass-chin’, suggesting that the Watford fighter could go down easily and has rarely been tested. This has filtered through to the odds, with Joshua’s price lengthening over the last few weeks.
Late-round win for Joshua looks the pick of the betting
Chances are, this will go with the bookmakers’ odds with a solid victory for Joshua – 4/1 for Joshua to win in rounds 9-12 inclusive looks a real savvy bet. But Parker will love the underdog role in what is his biggest payday to date. He will look to hang on early and capitalise on any tiredness shown by Joshua in the middle rounds.
For Joshua, the pressure is threefold. He must perform in front of yet another sell-out crowd of tens of thousands. He must win in such a manner that it justifies the hype put upon him by the sport media in the UK and beyond. And, he must fight with the knowledge that the world wants to see him take on Wilder (40-0, 39KOs) in that showdown to crown an undisputed champion. Boxing sometimes does not make things so simple.
