Five Reasons We Can’t Wait For Dillian Whyte v Joseph Parker

This Saturday, the bell will ring for a titanic heavyweight tussle in London, as Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker square off in a fight that is all-but-guaranteed to produce fireworks. The winner will put themselves in line for a tilt at the world title, while the loser risks being pushed out of the championship scene – so the stakes are pretty high! 

With a stacked undercard – including the Golden Girl of Irish boxing – it promises to be a barn-burner of an evening. You can find out how to order the pay-per-view event <a href="https://www.virginmedia.ie/ppv/">right here</a> - but if you need more convincing, we’ve gathered the reasons why we can’t wait for the punches to fly on Saturday!

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

It’s hard to remember a high-profile fight where the combatants were so closely matched. London-based Whyte has been victorious in 23 bouts, losing just once, while New Zealander Parker has 24 wins to go alongside his solitary loss. What’s more, the blemishes on their near-identical records were caused by the same man – current IBF, WBA and WBO champ Anthony Joshua – so when we say there’s little to choose between them, we’re not kidding! 

THE END IS NIGH

Slick skills and fancy footwork are all well and good, but heavyweight boxing is all about power – and both these boys pack a hell of a punch! Around three-quarters of their fights have concluded with a knockout; don’t even dream of making a quick cuppa during this one, because a spectacular end could arrive at any moment!

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THE FORK IN THE ROAD

With Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder apparently close to setting up their unification mega-fight, the winner on Saturday will put themselves in pole position to bag a priceless shot at glory. The loser, meanwhile, may face a tough road back to contention – and with the heavyweight scene buzzing once again, it would be a really bad time to slip up!

QUEEN KATIE IS BACK

Ireland’s gloved golden girl Katie Taylor returns to the ring as part of an outstanding undercard, facing veteran Kimberly Connor. The Bray woman will put her WBA and IBF Lightweight titles on the line against the durable American veteran, who’s twice challenged for world straps in the past. The announcement last week that her next fight had already been confirmed for Chicago in October might seems like tempting fate, but it’s merely a reflection of how firmly Taylor is backed to get the job done…

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THE BEST OF THE REST

The bill for this weekend is hugely impressive, as alongside the main event – and our Katie – are more big names from this side of the Atlantic. Another heavyweight showdown sees perennial gatekeeper Dereck Chisora lock horns with the teak-tough Carlos Takam, while Olympic medal winner Joshua Buatsi faces the toughest test of his fledgling career against Ricky Summers. We’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a big night!

To find out how you can order Whyte v Parker on Sky Sports PPV this Saturday, click here.