Joseph Parker vs Deontay Wilder: Day of Reckoning in Saudi Arabia clash a long time coming for heavyweight foes

Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker will clash in Saudi Arabia on the Day of Reckoning card. Photo / Getty Images

When Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder step into the ring in Saudi Arabia on Christmas Eve, it will bring some closure to their will they, won’t they history.

The two have long been on each other’s radar and in 2017, when they held the WBO and WBC heavyweight titles respectively, there had been discussions about the two meeting in a world heavyweight title unification.

Parker’s former trainer Kevin Barry said there was a good reason that bout never came to fruition.

“There was a bigger fight at the time, fighting a guy called Anthony Joshua.”

Joshua, who also fights on the Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia, took Parker’s title off him in 2018 and next week’s clash with Wilder will be Parker’s biggest fight since.

Wilder is something of an enigma in world boxing. While he has never been the sport’s most technical athlete, his power is second to none. In 46 career fights, he has 43 career wins - 42 of those by knockout. The three fights he didn’t win were all against Tyson Fury, with the American taking a draw and two losses in that trilogy.

It’s his ability to find that fight-ending shot that makes him such a tricky assignment, Barry said, referring to a couple of Wilder’s past encounters.

Kevin Barry worked with Joseph Parker for much of his professional career, including during his reign as WBO world heavyweight champion. Photo / Photosport

“I remember sitting down with Joe in 2017 when Wilder fought Gerald Washington in Alabama … I said to Joe, ‘God, look at this guy, he’s got terrible skills.’ I knew that Joe had the skill and the ability to outbox him, and in the fight against Gerald Washington, there was nothing in the fight. If anything, Washington was ahead after four rounds and then Wilder catches him with one punch in the fifth round and knocks him out,” Barry said.

“A similar thing to when Wilder fought Luis Ortiz in 2019 - he was behind with all three judges and he landed one right hand and knocked him spark cold in the seventh round.

“He’s a very, very powerful guy, and Joe’s boxing skills are really going to have to be on display in this fight. I think if Joe can take him into the later rounds, that improves his chances of winning significantly.”

This year has been Parker’s most active year since 2016, with the bout against Wilder being his fourth fight of the year. Since being knocked out by Joe Joyce last September with the spot as WBO mandatory challenger on the line, Parker has been rebuilding.

His three bouts so far this year have all been against unranked opponents and Parker has been able to get back on track with a unanimous decision and two impressive knockouts.

Barry praised Parker’s team for how they have managed him since his loss to Joyce, and said his 2023 schedule was a huge benefit ahead of the bout with Wilder.

I think Joe’s team has done very, very well throughout 2023. He’s had three fights and they’ve all been safe fights. But when you’re coming off a hard loss like the Joe Joyce fight, you need to rebuild and those three opponents have been perfect,” Barry said.

“The other thing that I think is really significant for Joe is he’s always been at his best when he’s kept active and the fact that he’s fought three times already this year, that’s going to help him a lot. It’s kept him fit, it’s kept him in shape.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.