Rob3_142 wrote:crusader wrote:coneye wrote:Were they scheduled to fight YES ,,
Did Parker pull out NO.
Did Parker take another fight at a week or so's notice . YES .
.. Did he pick a expensive dangerous opponent he had no time to prepare for NO .
.. Did he do more than others would of done , by taking a fight no matter who it was when not prepared for it YES .
.. Could it of been dangerous and stuff his whole future up , because its heavyweights and one punch is all it takes YES .
..Is he to blame for anything from the pullout through to his opponent being rated NO.
Did he hold back thinking , if i don't shine , i maybee offered a money fight with AJ or even better Bellow ... Mmmmm . Don't know
Did the Fury's come out looking like untrustworthy Lying ameteurs . who are just too hard to deal with BIG . YES
Did Parkers stock come down at all BIG NO
Parker's stock went down for me
I dont blame him for fighting Cojanu, but going the distance with someone that bad--someone who can barely beat clubfighters and was KTFO by a relatively low level opponent a few bouts earlier--isnt the stuff of a top heavyweight. I wouldnt be remotely surprised if a guy like Bellew easily stopped Cojanu in 4-5 rounds; that's how bad big Raz is.
I do believe that Parker is capable of better, but on that form he's not going much further.
I decided that this fight has essentially no impact on Parker's reputation. He could well have just cancelled the fight on the back of the Fury withdrawal, but wanted to give value to his fans, and credit to him for that.
I'm admittedly disappointed in the fight itself. It was not an entertaining spectacle at all. Parker had a real problem with loading up on Cojanu. Cojanu was being awkward, but felt that someone of Parker's perceived level couldn't find what he needed to get the stoppage.
It shouldn't hurt Parker's reputation in terms of how his matchmaking is perceived, as the Fury bout was a mandatory, it didn't fall through on Parker's end, and the ultra short notice makes Cojanu a defensible opponent in the circumstances .
However, in terms of what he showed in the ring, and what it says about his abilities, Parker's stock definitely dropped for me. Cojanu is absolutely dreadful when evaluated in a world level context, and Parker should have gotten him out of there, or at least put him down a few times. I understand that they sparred and seem friendly with each other, but Parker looked very sloppy in general, his shots weren't doing damage despite frequently landing, and I don't think that can be explained by his past with Cojanu.
If Chisora (a high-level gatekeeper) and Parker fought in a neutral venue and were judged fairly, it wouldn't remotely surprise me if Chis did an 8-4 job on him.
Does anyone actually think this fight will happen.