Whyte vs Parker: Heavyweight opponents reveal expected weights and physiques
Thursday 26 July 2018 10:50, UK
Dillian Whyte will shed weight to take on Joseph Parker, in the same way that Anthony Joshua did.
Whyte tipped the scales at 18st 2lbs for his last fight against Lucas Browne but, in a similar manner to Joshua earlier this year, will meet Parker at a smaller size.
"We'll be four or five pounds lighter than our last fight. A touch lighter," Whyte's trainer Mark Tibbs told Sky Sports.
It's the way his strength and conditioners want him. It's nothing to do with Parker. It's all about our performance.
That projected weight brings Whyte closer to the 17st 10lbs measurements he posted when he beat Robert Helenius.
Joshua, similarly, had recorded a career-heaviest weight in back-to-back fights but was lighter when he out-pointed Parker in March.
"That's the way we've worked," Tibbs said. "It's the way his strength and conditioners want him. It's nothing to do with Parker. It's all about our performance."
Parker weighed 16st 12lbs for the Joshua fight, notably trimmer than the 17st 7lbs he posted in his previous outing. His "discipline" in the months since losing his WBO heavyweight title to Joshua means he has maintained his lighter physique to meet Whyte, according to his trainer Kevin Barry.
"Very disciplined," Barry told Sky Sports about Parker. "And if he wasn't, he wouldn't be ready for this.
"We'll be [a similar weight] to the last fight. He looks fantastic.
"He came back off the plane [after the Joshua fight] at 17st 5lbs. At the beginning of the Joshua camp he was 18st 13lbs."
Parker's promoter David Higgins added: "He is in better shape, but expect a similar weight."
Their estimated weights mean Whyte could weigh-in nearly a stone heavier than Parker on Friday.
"Speed is important, but it's power and timing too," Barry said. "Speed alone won't win this fight. We need to hit this guy freaking hard and often because he will keep coming until we break him down.
"Dillian is a tough, physical guy and it's very important that Joe follows our game-plan. If we allow Dillian to close the distance it will be a tough fight."
Whyte is ranked No 1 with the WBC while Parker made two defences of the WBO belt before conceding it to Joshua. Each fighter's sole defeat came to Joshua and the winner of Saturday's meeting could land a rematch.
"Parker will have the speed advantage whatever," said Whyte's promoter Eddie Hearn. "Dillian has tailored his sparring to the speed. One thing that AJ said: 'Parker is very, very fast'.
"Dillian might be in a situation where, after a round or two, the speed is too much so he needs to cut Parker off.
"One of my worries is that, although Dillian has improved technically, he shouldn't rely on that in this fight. He needs to rely on the attributes that have got him this far. Do what he does best - make Parker go to places that he doesn't want to go to.
"If it becomes a fencing match, it could go Parker's way."
The heavyweight contenders will go face-to-face at Thursday's press conference before weighing-in on Friday.
Watch Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker with Katie Taylor, Dereck Chisora, Joshua Buatsi, Conor Benn and more the undercard, live on Sky Sports Box Office, from The O2, Saturday, July 28.
You can book via your Sky remote, via sky.com/boxofficeonline here and even if you aren't a Sky subscriber you can book and watch it via skysports.com/boxofficelive.
