Kiwi boxing beef tipped to be better than Buffalo

May 30, 2013

Kiwi boxing beef tipped to be better than Buffalo

The TAB is picking up-and-coming Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker to be too fit and too fast for Francois Botha in their heavyweight fight in Auckland on June 13.

Parker has been installed as clear favourite for the fight at $1.45, with veteran Botha – a loser last up in his controversial clash with Sonny-Bill Williams in February – tipped for another loss at the hands of a Kiwi at $2.55.

“Parker’s got youth, fitness, home-turf advantage and the speed he has for a big man is very rare,” said TAB bookie Mark Stafford.

“The trainer of Manny Pacquiáo (the Filipino fighter rated among the best pound-for-pound boxers the world has ever seen) watched Parker training and sparring a couple of weeks ago and he said he was ‘alarmed’ that a man of Parker’s size had so much speed in his hands.”

The “White Buffalo”, Botha, may be close to being put out to pasture on the South African savannah after a long career but Stafford said the veteran was still capable of springing a surprise.

“At 44 he’s had over 20 years in the ring and he’s been up against some of the best boxers in the business. Ring-craft is huge at this top level. Yes, he’s slowed down but he’s very smart and we saw that against Sonny-Bill. He’ll be going into this fight with a solid gameplan.”

While the Williams-Botha fight finished in farce after being inexplicably reduced from the advertised 12 rounds to 10 – with Williams only just hanging on for a points decision – the TAB has written confirmation from the promoters of the Parker-Botha fight that it is scheduled for eight rounds.

“Both fighters will be cagey early on,” said Stafford. “Eight rounds is a long fight for Parker at this stage of his career and for Botha to have lasted this long at this level he’s obviously very good defensively and has a good jaw. Joseph Parker probably hasn’t had his jaw tested before like he will against Botha and he’ll very wary of that.”

JOSEPH PARKER v FRANCOIS BOTHA
Auckland
Thursday, June 13

Head-to-Head
Parker: $1.45
Botha: $2.55

Decision
Parker by KO: $3.25
Parker by decision: $2.20
Draw: $25
Botha by KO: $3.25
Botha by decision: $8

www.nzracingboard.co.nz | www.tab.co.nz | www.theraces.co.nz

ENDS

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