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New Zealand heavyweights Joseph Parker and Junior Fa will finally step into the ring together as professionals.
ANALYSIS: A Kiwi heavyweight clash between Joseph Parker and Junior Fa is finally a reality and the intrigue to make this long-awaited fight will take to the ring.
But who wins a match that has a lot of history and feels attached to it?
Here are some key areas to weigh with the fight confirmed for December 11 at Spark Arena in Auckland.
The rivalry: They were both born in Kiwi, but this is a South Auckland special: Parker with his Samoan heritage versus Fa with his Tongan roots. They have an amateur history that needs to be resolved after it finished 2-2. Fa’s second win over Parker halted Parker’s chances of reaching the 2012 London Olympics, a loss that helped convince Parker that it was time to turn pro.
READ MORE:
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* Joseph Parker v Junior Fa stalled over ‘ridiculous’ money demands
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* New Zealand heavyweight boxer Junior Fa earns main event status for the US promotion.
BOXING IN THE MATCH ROOM
Joseph Parker wrecks Alex Leapai in Providence, Rhode Island.
The credentials: Parker, a former WBO world champion, is now No. 3 with the WBO and Fa is No. 6 there. Parker is also ranked No. 6 on the WBC and No. 7 on the IBF, where Fa has risen to No. 12. Parker’s résumé far exceeds that of Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr, Dillian Whyte, Carlos Takam, Hughie Fury and Alex Leapai. . It is difficult to find a recognizable name on Fa’s opponent list and there is certainly no one outside of the top tier of the division. Fa has had a lot of exposure to former WBC champion Deontay Wilder as a regular and respected sparring partner.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Junior Fa has the physical dimensions to annoy Joseph Parker.
The numbers: Parker is 27-2 with 21 KOs. Fa is 19-0 with 10 KOs. Parker has fought 165 rounds as a pro, while Fa has 82 rounds under his belt. Fa is two years older than 30 and has a significant physical advantage: He is 1.96m versus Parker’s 1.93m, but Fa has a range of 2.04m versus Parker’s 1.93m. For his most recent fights, Fa weighed 121 kg while Parker weighed 111 kg.
The styles: They both have good movement with F deceptively agile for their size. Fa is technically sound, but he has been guilty of having flat patches in fights and even some flat performances with health issues that bother him. Fully fit, he has proven to be a handful. Parker is adjusting his game, so adept at fighting his back foot that he’s determined to be more aggressive knowing that knockouts are needed to gain attention in a highly competitive division. Parker has the sharpest jab, but Fa’s reach advantage will put him to the test. Like all proud heavyweights, they can find themselves drawn into a fight, and given their history, head-to-head action is likely to ensue.
KERRY RUSSELL / TEAM PARKER
Joseph Parker showed what he can do with some clean shots against Shawndell Winters.
Power factor: Parker’s top knockout percentage at 72.41% to Fa’s 52.63% speaks volumes. Parker is now sitting better on his punches and showed moments of that in his last outing in Texas, where he demolished North American champion Shawndell Winters in style. It’s not just the headshots, Parker’s body shots are revealing. But Fa can hit and in this division a big hit is an ever-present danger.
What is at stake: Great New Zealand and Pacific pride and probably a lot of money to start with. But the OMB rankings are more meaningful. Parker is in a great place right now, trailing Ukrainian superstar Oleksandr Usyk and sniffing out another world title shot if Joshua drops that belt. A loss to Fa, just four spots behind him, would likely cost Parker that position. Much motivation for the Fa. He’s defending an unbeaten record and knows that a win against Parker would be a great statement. The global health crisis has basically robbed both fighters of a year off their prime. There will be urgency for this fight to be a successful restart.
Parker team
Two former world champions meet at Parker’s gym in Las Vegas to work on their games.
The verdict: There is always intrigue and what if in heavyweight fights, but it’s hard to let Parker win this. He was successfully accelerated through the professional ranks, has much more experience, and has operated far above the Fa level, earning much international respect to accompany his world title reign. It’s been a long way since those amateur days when Fa had Parker’s measure. The independent rankings on BoxRec are revealing: Parker is at No. 12 and Fa at No. 31.
