Barry McGuigan believes Deontay Wilder is in for a much tougher night than expected when he faces Joseph Parker.
The puncher from Alabama will fight for the first time this year against a much more active Parker , who will be lacing up for the fourth time in 2023.
Wilder’s last win came in the first round against Robert Helenius last October, whilst Parker bounced back from a September 2022 loss to Joe Joyce with wins over Jack Massey, Faiga Opelu and Simon Kean this year.
The odds make the American a heavy favourite, and fancy him to pick up the 43rd stoppage of his career against the former WBO Champion from New Zealand.
However, speaking to Pro Boxing Fans , McGuigan said that it is ‘not an easy fight’, and believes it to be much closer than the odds suggest.
“I think this is a really tough fight for him. Joseph Parker’s a very good fighter, got a good chin. Andy Lee’s a very good coach, clever tactically. So this is a much tougher fight than I think Wilder imagines it is.
But he’s got that equaliser and you can never write him off. He can knock you out in the first round and the twelfth round – and that’s the most exciting thing about him. This is not an easy fight. Parker’s got a great chance.”
Parker looks to do what his training partner Tyson Fury did twice by beating Wilder and thus spoiling a potential fight between the American and Anthony Joshua next year.
Joshua fights on the same December 23 card against Swedish heavyweight, Otto Wallin.