Boxing’s heavyweight division has taken an interesting turn. Tyson Fury is in and out of retirement, Anthony Joshua is at a crossroads, Deontay Wilder is on the outside of contendership trying to find his way back in, and Oleksandr Usyk may be out of action for a while. Who will step up when it matters the most?
Joseph Parker, a former heavyweight champion, is looking to reclaim his spot at the top. A rising star, Joe Joyce is ready to become a world champion. The two will face off inside Manchester’s AO Arena on September 24.
A three-time gold medalist, Parker made his pro debut in 2012. A WBO Oriental heavyweight champion, Parker won the WBO heavyweight title in 2016 against Andy Ruiz Jr. He lost the belt against Anthony Joshua in 2018. After losing to Dillian Whyte in his next bout, Parker has gone on a six-fight win streak. He recently won two fights against Derek Chisora, the last one in December 2021.
Joyce made his pro debut in 2017. He has held the British, Commonwealth, WBC Silver, WBO International, and European heavyweight titles. In 2020, Joyce beat the young Daniel Dubois via KO after attacking his eye. His last fight was a TKO win against Christian Hammer in July, his fourth win in a row via some form of knockout.
MORE: Sign up to watch Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker on ESPN+
It is a battle between England and New Zealand, with the former having home field advantage. Who will walk out of the ring the winner, along with the opportunity to move up the heavyweight ladder?
The Sporting News is here to give some insight on how to bet on this fight.
Betting odds for Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker
Per the Caesar’s Sportsbook, Joyce is the -190 favorite, while Parker is the +160 underdog.
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Joyce is the -207 favorite, while Parker is the +147 underdog.
Prop bets for Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker
- Joyce via KO/TKO: +260
- Joyce via decision: +130
- Parker via KO/TKO: +500
- Parker via decision: +350
- Draw: +1600
MORE: All you need to know about Joyce vs. Parker
Expert prediction for Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker
This is a battle between motivated heavyweights.
During his six-fight win streak, Parker has won three fights via knockout (his last one in 2020). Before the knockout win of Alexander Flores in 2018, Parker last won via knockout in 2016. Meanwhile, Joyce is a man on a mission. Dating back to his debut, Joyce has won 13 of his 14 fights via some form of knockout.
Expect fireworks in this one.
Looking further into the stats, Parker has a 0+ +/- rating. He connects on 27.8% of his shots while his opponent lands the same, balancing everything out. Parker averages the fewest power punches thrown per round with 21.1. He does have a total connect percentage of 43.4%, tied for 15th among active fighters.
Parker has a jab percentage of 52.7% (averaging 23.5 of 44.6). In his last fight and second bout against Derek Chisora, Parker connected on the jab 24 times, which added to his 144 total punches. However, Joyce can be a jab machine. Against Daniel Dubois, he landed 125 shots, with 98 jabs. Against Iago Kiladze, Joyce landed 50 jabs out of 109 punches.
Opponents land 33% of their power punches against Parker. Joyce can switch it up between jabs and power shots to halt an opponent in their tracks. That makes him dangerous.
MORE: Boxing’s top 25 under 25
Parker has seemingly drank from the fountain of youth at 37, but can he outlast the power of Joyce? He must find a way to not step off the gas pedal in the later rounds. For Joyce, he has to go shot for shot with Parker but also find some urgency in his blows. That has been a concern for him in the past.
Parker can win if he uses his swift feet to slide past Joyce. It could be a calculated battle, and Parker knows a thing or two about strategy. Tiring out Joyce early and avoiding his jabs will be the key. Parker’s path back to the promised land is within reach, he can almost taste it.
Sporting News prediction: Parker via unanimous decision
When is Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker?
- Date: Saturday, September 24
- Start time: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. BST | 4 a.m. AEST
- Main event: 5:15 p.m. ET | 10:15 p.m. BST | 7:15 a.m. AEST
Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker will be taking place on Sept. 24. The main card starts around 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. BST | 4 a.m. AEST. Joyce and Parker should make their way to the ring around 5:15 p.m. ET | 10:15 p.m. BST | 7:15 a.m. AEST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker
- ESPN+
- BT Sport Box Office
In the U.S., Joyce vs. Parker will be shown on ESPN+.
The Joyce-Parker bout will be shown exclusively on BT Sport Box Office in the U.K.
MORE: Sign up to watch Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker on ESPN+
Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker price: How much does the card cost?
You will need to pay $9.99 a month for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or an annual subscription for $99.99/yr. The Joyce vs. Parker fight won’t be an additional cost to current ESPN+ subscribers.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker fight card
- Joe Joyce (c) vs. Joseph Parker (c) for the WBC, Silver, WBO International, and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles
- Amanda Serrano (c) vs. Sarah Mahfoud (c) for the IBF, IBO, WBC, and WBO featherweight titles
- Michael Magnesi (c) vs. Anthony Cacace for the IBO super-featherweight title
- Ekow Essuman (c) vs. Samuel Antwi for the British, IBF European, and Commonwealth welterweight titles
- Nathan Heaney vs. Jack Flatley for the IBO International middleweight title
- Raven Chapman vs. Jorgelina Guanini for the WBC International featherweight title
- James Heneghan vs. Rod Douglas Jr.
- Amaar Akbar vs. Karlo Wallace
- Tommy Fletcher vs. Toni Visic
- Mark Heffron vs. Martin Ezequiel Bulacio
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