AJ vs mandatory POVETKIN next ?

[Rob3_142]

There is absolutely no question on that point. Doesn't mean Parker wins, but it would've been a better fight.

Yes, the referees intervention did hinder Parker's only real route into the fight, but had they both fought on the inside, Parker would have been knocked out (in my opinion). You could then argue that the referee helped Parker lose by UD over losing by KO.

Of course this is all speculative, and I can never prove that Joshua would have got the KO had they been able to fight on the inside, but Joshua is too good of an operator on the inside to ignore.

Yeah I agree to most of that. Not sure about Joshua being "too good" on the inside holds up. We never saw a really good inside fighter get there! In all fairness...

I'm of course only really basing that on previous performances. Joshua made the second breakthrough against Klitschko on the inside, and got an awkward Whyte out of the there on the inside too. I can't think of many occasions that Parker has dominated opponents on the inside, especially against formidable opposition.

[oogiebe]

Yeah I agree to most of that. Not sure about Joshua being "too good" on the inside holds up. We never saw a really good inside fighter get there! In all fairness...

I'm of course only really basing that on previous performances. Joshua made the second breakthrough against Klitschko on the inside, and got an awkward Whyte out of the there on the inside too. I can't think of many occasions that Parker has dominated opponents on the inside, especially against formidable opposition.
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Regarding the Wlad fight: I thought the uppercut he hit him with was dangerously outside and not so tight. I'll have to watch that again.

[Rob3_142]

Yeah I agree to most of that. Not sure about Joshua being "too good" on the inside holds up. We never saw a really good inside fighter get there! In all fairness...

I'm of course only really basing that on previous performances. Joshua made the second breakthrough against Klitschko on the inside, and got an awkward Whyte out of the there on the inside too. I can't think of many occasions that Parker has dominated opponents on the inside, especially against formidable opposition.

Regarding the Wlad fight: I thought the uppercut he hit him with was dangerously outside and not so tight. I'll have to watch that again.
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It was definitely on the inside, they were practically tying up. But by all means go back and check the footage (I have a mental image of that moment of the fight).

[oogiebe]

Not completely inside as Wlad was leaning to clinch, but certainly not like Douglas/Holyfield IMHO.