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.