‘Finish it early’ – Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and boxing’s biggest names predict Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker
Daniel Dubois opens up as a slight favourite over Joseph Parker – but there are plenty of industry experts siding with the Kiwi. The heavyweight titans are set to lock horns on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard over in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. Daniel Dubois is defending his IBF belt against Joseph Parker this weekendGetty Whoever emerges victorious will go home with the IBF heavyweight title and punch their ticket for an undisputed clash against Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian slickster confirmed to talkSPORT.com last week that he will fight the winner in his penultimate professional outing. “We wait for a fight on February 22 between Daniel and Joseph,” he said. “Whoever wins this fight between Daniel and Joseph, I have already made the fight.” With so much on the line, the heavyweight showdown feels more like a main event than a co-feature attraction and everyone has an opinion on how it will go down. Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at the predictions of some of the preeminent voices in the sport. Who is picking Dubois? Oleksandr Usyk Asked for his prediction on the fight, Usyk handed talkSPORT a ‘Ready To Fight’ pamphlet with analytics from his team and replied: “52 per cent for Daniel and 48 per cent for Parker that is what my team have predicted.” Oleksandr Usyk will fight the winnerGETTY Amir Khan “Good fight. Joseph Parker has surprised me every time he has fought,” Khan told Boxing News. “Whereas Dubois with that fight against Joshua and also Hrgovic, I thought ‘This guy is a hard guy to beat, he’s a very good boxer’. “So If I had to pick a fighter to win that fight it would be Dubois, he is a younger and fresher fighter.” Amir Khan favours ‘the younger, fresher fighter’ DuboisLawrence Lustig/BOXXER Carl Froch “I believe Dubois should be the favorite; he has a powerful punch. “Parker tends to tire as the rounds go on. He’s tough and strong, but his punches don’t match the calibre of the top fighters. He’ll have to keep punching and moving for the full 12 rounds. “Dubois is riding high on confidence after his victory over Joshua and now holds the IBF title. “I think if he starts pressing Parker from the 5th or 6th round onward, he could carry that momentum into the second half and inch closer to victory. “Dubois has a solid jab, and when he lands with his right hand, those shots are devastating… “If the fight goes the distance, it’ll be a close result, but I believe Dubois will come out on top. I’m not hedging here—I think Dubois will beat Parker in an exciting battle and likely finish it early.” Carl Froch expects Dubois to finish Parker earlyGETTY Gareth A. Davies “Joseph has become a much bigger man, he will weigh more than Daniel Dubois,” Davies said on talkSPORT Fight Night. “But Daniel Dubois is a wrecking ball right now. If Parker can weather an early storm then it could be a very dangerous fight for Daniel Dubois but I just think Dubois will get a stoppage in rounds six to eight.” talkSPORT’s Gareth A Davies is also siding with DuboisGETTY Spencer Oliver “It’s another fight where you go 52 per cent to 48 per cent in favour of Daniel Dubois, you just lean towards Dubois,” Oliver said on talkSPORT Fight Night. “Momentum is with both of these guys. They have both reinvented themselves incredibly… “I go for the young lion Daniel Dubois I think he wins the fight.” As is talkSPORT’s Spencer OliverRex Simon Jordan “He’s a very good fighter,” Jordan said on talkSPORT. “I just think Daniel Dubois will be a step too far for him. “I don’t think it’s a formality, but I do think Daniel will win and I do think that he’ll stop him.” And talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan Who is picking Parker? Tyson Fury “I’ve got to go with my old pal, Joseph Parker,” Fury told TNT Sports. Tyson Fury is backing his friend and training partner ParkerGetty Tony Bellew “It’s a top, top fight, I think the first three or four rounds are key,” Bellew said on talkSPORT Breakfast. “If Joe can see through them I think he gets the job done, but Daniel Dubois is in a rich vein of form. “He [Dubois] rolls the dice every time, he lets his hands go and has no fear at the moment. “But I just think if Joseph Parker has been diligent in his camp, he can get the job done. “He’s a better boxer, he’s got more skills and skillset, but he isn’t as powerful as Dubois. “Also he isn’t as young as Daniel Dubois and youth can catch up with you. “Dubois is so strong and lets his hands go, a lot of the heavyweights are cautious about it.” GettyTony Bellew can use his experience to get the job done[/caption] Agit Kabayel “It is a very close fight,” Kabayel told Boxing News. “Parker is a better boxer, Daniel Dubois has the power. “My heart is with Parker, I like this guy, he is a very good guy. On this day, the guy with the heart will win.” Agit Kabayel thinks Parke
Daniel Dubois opens up as a slight favourite over Joseph Parker – but there are plenty of industry experts siding with the Kiwi.
The heavyweight titans are set to lock horns on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard over in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Whoever emerges victorious will go home with the IBF heavyweight title and punch their ticket for an undisputed clash against Oleksandr Usyk.
The Ukrainian slickster confirmed to talkSPORT.com last week that he will fight the winner in his penultimate professional outing.
“We wait for a fight on February 22 between Daniel and Joseph,” he said.
“Whoever wins this fight between Daniel and Joseph, I have already made the fight.”
With so much on the line, the heavyweight showdown feels more like a main event than a co-feature attraction and everyone has an opinion on how it will go down.
Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at the predictions of some of the preeminent voices in the sport.
Who is picking Dubois?
Oleksandr Usyk
Asked for his prediction on the fight, Usyk handed talkSPORT a ‘Ready To Fight’ pamphlet with analytics from his team and replied: “52 per cent for Daniel and 48 per cent for Parker that is what my team have predicted.”
Amir Khan
“Good fight. Joseph Parker has surprised me every time he has fought,” Khan told Boxing News.
“Whereas Dubois with that fight against Joshua and also Hrgovic, I thought ‘This guy is a hard guy to beat, he’s a very good boxer’.
“So If I had to pick a fighter to win that fight it would be Dubois, he is a younger and fresher fighter.”
Carl Froch
“I believe Dubois should be the favorite; he has a powerful punch.
“Parker tends to tire as the rounds go on. He’s tough and strong, but his punches don’t match the calibre of the top fighters. He’ll have to keep punching and moving for the full 12 rounds.
“Dubois is riding high on confidence after his victory over Joshua and now holds the IBF title.
“I think if he starts pressing Parker from the 5th or 6th round onward, he could carry that momentum into the second half and inch closer to victory.
“Dubois has a solid jab, and when he lands with his right hand, those shots are devastating…
“If the fight goes the distance, it’ll be a close result, but I believe Dubois will come out on top. I’m not hedging here—I think Dubois will beat Parker in an exciting battle and likely finish it early.”
Gareth A. Davies
“Joseph has become a much bigger man, he will weigh more than Daniel Dubois,” Davies said on talkSPORT Fight Night.
“But Daniel Dubois is a wrecking ball right now. If Parker can weather an early storm then it could be a very dangerous fight for Daniel Dubois but I just think Dubois will get a stoppage in rounds six to eight.”
Spencer Oliver
“It’s another fight where you go 52 per cent to 48 per cent in favour of Daniel Dubois, you just lean towards Dubois,” Oliver said on talkSPORT Fight Night.
“Momentum is with both of these guys. They have both reinvented themselves incredibly…
“I go for the young lion Daniel Dubois I think he wins the fight.”
Simon Jordan
“He’s a very good fighter,” Jordan said on talkSPORT.
“I just think Daniel Dubois will be a step too far for him.
“I don’t think it’s a formality, but I do think Daniel will win and I do think that he’ll stop him.”
Who is picking Parker?
Tyson Fury
“I’ve got to go with my old pal, Joseph Parker,” Fury told TNT Sports.
Tony Bellew
“It’s a top, top fight, I think the first three or four rounds are key,” Bellew said on talkSPORT Breakfast.
“If Joe can see through them I think he gets the job done, but Daniel Dubois is in a rich vein of form.
“He [Dubois] rolls the dice every time, he lets his hands go and has no fear at the moment.
“But I just think if Joseph Parker has been diligent in his camp, he can get the job done.
“He’s a better boxer, he’s got more skills and skillset, but he isn’t as powerful as Dubois.
“Also he isn’t as young as Daniel Dubois and youth can catch up with you.
“Dubois is so strong and lets his hands go, a lot of the heavyweights are cautious about it.”
Agit Kabayel
“It is a very close fight,” Kabayel told Boxing News. “Parker is a better boxer, Daniel Dubois has the power.
“My heart is with Parker, I like this guy, he is a very good guy. On this day, the guy with the heart will win.”
