Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker preview: Late stoppage beckons

Views and predictions ahead of the big fight

Anthony Joshua faces fellow champion Joseph Parker in a huge heavyweight unification bout in Cardiff on Saturday night.

The pair clash at the Millennium Stadium with both fighters putting up their straps and unbeaten records. It’s an intriguing fight and one of the biggest match-ups in the division.

But who comes out on top? The Coral News Team cast their eye over the bout…

Can AJ avoid complacency?

After the biggest fight of his career against Wladimir Klitchscko, Joshua was brought back down to earth with a bang against Carlos Takam. The IBF, WBA, and IBO heavyweight champion was expected to easily beat the French-Cameroonian fighter.

But it took until the 10th round for AJ to finish him off – which maybe wasn’t to be unexpected. Takam, after all, is known for his durability and toughness.

There’s an argument there to suggest that AJ may have been on a slight comedown. Takam was a replacement for the injured Kubrat Pulev, and he’d just come off a euphoric win against Klitchsko.

He was slightly sluggish in the early rounds against Takam until he began to find his range later in the fight. Will he take any chances with a fellow world champion? It’s unlikely.

Is Parker the real deal?

When Joseph Parker first burst onto the scene a few years ago, he was touted as someone who could rival Joshua for heavyweight supremacy.

However, despite winning the WBO strap vacated by Tyson Fury, Parker has flattered to deceive since. He struggled to a unanimous decision win over Razvan Cojanu last summer. And then he defeated Fury’s cousin, Hughie, in Manchester last September.