Parker will fight Jack Massey on January 22

Joseph Parker (30-3, 21 KOs) will box again in Great Britain. Arrivals on the Island for a New Zealander go well every once in a while, but this is a case where everything has to be good. Opponent Jack Massey (20-1, 11 KOs). On the one hand, the Brit can be considered a young prospect. On the other hand, he is only slightly younger than his opponent, but he has achieved many times less.

Not a bad option to bounce back from a fight like the one Parker had against Joyce.

Parker lost his last fight to Joe Joyce. Now you have to start all over again

Joseph Parker has already been beaten several times, and he is still in the top. There was Anthony Joshua. The fight went through all the rounds, but the Australian did not ignite exactly. Dillian Whyte happened right after that. The second defeat in a row for the British in Great Britain, although before that the New Zealander had zero defeats.

It would have broken a lot of people, but not Parker. Joseph came back and didn't lose at all. Although it was very difficult at times. For a while, he boxed at home, then in the USA, but the opponents did not impress: Alexander Flores, Alex Leapai, Shawndell Terrell Winters. Agree, that's how it sounds.

After that, there was a boring fight against Junior Fa and two wild fights with Derek Chisora, which were probably the best fights of 2021. Well, in the top for sure. Moreover, in the first meeting, Parker's victory was not even close, but disputed. In the second, Joseph closed all questions and beat Derek to a state that was not compatible with health.

And here is another defeat. Not that Joe Joyce and the victory over him would be significant, but important - that's for sure. The Briton is trivially close to the title. A victory over him would make it possible to claim the titles. But it didn't work out.

In general, the confrontation against Joyce passed Parker by. The opposition was organized, shots flew in, hit the target and even confused a little, but nothing more. Joe just went ahead and went. Beat and beat. Joseph had no answer to such an abundance of health and strength.

The New Zealander received many times more, took a lot of blows, but in the eleventh round he still couldn't stand it and collapsed. Knockout, and you have to start all over again. Good, although Joseph is still not very old. 31 years old is a great age for a super heavyweight. The body reaches its peak capabilities. It will be worse later, but now is the right time. Unless, of course, he concedes as much as he did against Joyce and Chisora in the first meeting. Especially in the first one.

So the New Zealander has time, but what about his health after such an endless beating against the concrete wall of the name of Joe Joyce is a real mystery. But no matter what, there's little that can stop Parker from defeating his next opponent. Well, the level is too different not only in boxing, but also in the experience of the opponents.

British Jack Messi is 29 years old. He is two years younger than his opponent, but so far he is not close behind the names and achievements of Parker. The loudest name on the record is Richard Riakpore. This is the only defeat.

The fight against Riakpore for the British Cruiserweight title is not a show you want to watch. Bunch of clinches, close-range wrestling, back to back hustle. In the tenth round, Messi was knocked down, but persevered.

In general, the chin is not Jack's strongest point. The last match against Vaclav Peysar ended already in the second round, but even there the Briton had time to fly. In the middle of the first round, Pacer charged, and Messi took the lead. It was not possible to finish, and it was not possible to stand still either. Already in the second, Messi charged on the body, and the opponent was spinning around the ring for a long time. But chin bells are constant. This is definitely not Joyce with his steel jaw.

So what's with the favorite?

Undoubtedly, the favorite is Parker. 1.10 on him against 6.0 on Messi. Even betting on the knockout of the New Zealander is not particularly profitable - there the coefficient is not much higher than an ordinary victory.

The reasons for this fight, if you have any questions about this after the odds, are clear for both. Joseph needs a comeback after meeting Joyce. Without any particular risks, but the record should be normal and in general the opponent looks good.

This is also a chance for Messi. Just imagine if he creates such an upset. Break into a comfortable distance, punch and, for example, knock out the opponent. This is almost the end of Parker's career and definitely some more money fights for Jack. At the same time, the British team definitely keeps somewhere in their heads that this chance may be real, because Joseph may turn out to be a downed pilot.

But this is unlikely.

A more likely option is a knockout from a New Zealander. Because he is better as a boxer, he has a better and harder punch and he is banally more versatile in appearance. Massey is a good British school. Jab, combination work, boxing on different floors. He can do it, really. But not against top opponents. Against tops, the fight becomes boring, like against Riakpore.

Only Parker is not Riakpore. He is even stronger, heavier. It's accurate and punchy. And it didn't look like Joseph was going down much from Joyce's punches. Rather, the head could not withstand the number of hits. At the same time, Joe is definitely tougher than Messi, there is nothing to say here.

But what will happen after this victory is even more interesting. Because it is one thing to return to close to the championship level again, and another – what to plan for the future? Which of the current top players or champions is Parker guaranteed to beat? So Everywhere the chances are at best equal.

But he is an interesting boxer, so he will definitely never be bored in the ring.

The match between Joseph Parker and Jack Massey will take place on Saturday, January 21, in Manchester.