Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker: A fight based on personality over ability?

Even at the lowest level of boxing, a heavyweight fight remains one of the most intriguing sporting contests. What could be better? You take two big lads with power and questionable stamina, and wait for the first oak to fall.

Tonight’s big fight between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker adds a great deal of skill and swagger to those basic principles, but the allure is still the same. Two powerhouses, 12 rounds, and three of the four heavyweight title belts on the line. What’s not to love?

For some boxing fans, this is not a fight based on ability, but instead of personality. Anthony Joshua is on the cusp of genuine superstardom, and with another 70,000-strong audience expected in Cardiff, he’s by far the biggest ticket seller in British boxing history. He’s tall, handsome and boasts a Herculean figure – but beyond the six-pack lies a complex character full of contradictions.

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Is he the successful everyman with celebrity mates and an easygoing face on chat shows, or is he, as some believe, a media creation who hides his genuine self through meaningless mantras and eyebrow-raising social media activity? One thing is for sure, his personality inside the ring is far different to his public behaviour outside it. Once the bell rings, Joshua is a stalking machine, who is not shy at using the dark side of boxing to his advantage.

The WBA and IBF heavyweight champion is full of aggression, and has been known to hit his opponents just after the bell or after they have been knocked down. They’re moves which are unseen by many eyes, but happen with just enough frequency to be noted. The aggression is teamed with serenity, which makes him a highly dangerous foe at any stage in the fight. When Wladimir Klitschko knocked him down hard during their 2017 bout, Joshua, though ragged, showed huge amounts of calm to weather the storm, and take the overall victory.

Joshua critics have lambasted him for not fighting the right opponents, but they don’t come much more primed than Joseph Parker. The 26-year-old Kiwi was a successful amateur, and turned professional in 2012 with a firm long-term plan set for him. Parker has not disappointed, with 24 victories including notable wins over Andy Ruiz Jr, Alexander Dimitrenko and Carlos Takam.

But it’s Parker’s last fight which British fans will be most familiar with, a truly terrible bout with Hughie Fury last September. Parker and Fury fought in front of a quarter-full Manchester Arena, which contained less drama than a series five episode of Heartbeat. While Fury’s defensive tactics were mostly to blame for the lack of entertainment, Parker’s lack of precision, spite and versatility appeared notable as the bout progressed.

If that fight was a cure for insomnia, tonight’s clash should be a true blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. Both fighters possess enviable power, although Joshua appears to be the heavier hitter. Much of Parker’s pre-fight trash talk has been based on the alleged weakness of Joshua’s chin, but Parker will know that his own punch resistance has never been truly tested.

It surely will be by Joshua, whose power does carry throughout the rounds, while Parker’s last three fights have gone all 12 rounds. Joshua, who still possesses a 100 per cent knockout record, weighed in the lightest he has in four years for this battle, which suggests he’ll be looking for speed and dynamism as his main weapons. The British star has looked more human in recent fights, and has seemed particularly susceptible to body shots.

Parker, too, has weighed in light, which to some suggests that he’ll be looking to fight on the outside and jab his way to a points victory. If, and it’s a big if, his chin can hold up to Joshua’s power-punches, there is a sense that he can outbox the 2012 Olympic Champion, but his concentration levels will need to be perfect at all times.

Although some are tipping this as the biggest fight of the year, the looming spectres of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are circling this occasion. Joshua is the brand, and the hook upon the next 12 months of multi-millions, but in order to make Conor McGregor money, he has to deal with Parker first. The bookmakers have Joshua a wide 1/6 betting favourite, with Parker a 4/1 underdog. 3/1 odds on the fight to go the distance may appeal to some viewers who want value for their £20 PPV.

Tonight’s fight won’t define the careers of either man, despite the disappointment each would undoubtedly feel following a loss. The money and machinery behind both means that a comeback is inevitable, and there will always be opponents interested in fighting them. But in a division which is on the cusp of becoming mainstream again, there’s only one man who will walk away from this evening’s bout in Cardiff as the No 1 heavyweight on the planet