Despite the fact that Deontay Wilder vs Alexander Povetkin is not going down ,this is still a big weekend for Heavyweight boxing. Several matches from around the world are already getting attention at the sport books. The Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau City, New Zealand hosts 24-year old prospect Joseph Parker (18-0) as he faces #8 ranked Carlos Takam of France. The fight is already being called the biggest fight in New Zealand boxing history, and Parker is a prospect who has been tabbed to make an impact at a world level. Right now, Parker is a -550 favorite over Takam, who is returning at +400. Takam is a Cameroonian who resides in France and he brings a fine (33-2-1) record to the table. His last loss came in October of 2014 when he lost to Alexander Povetkin by KO after ten rounds in Moscow. In January of 2014 he fought Mike Perez to a draw and his lone other loss comes back in 2009. Takam took 2015 to re-hab his career after the Povetkin loss, and he went 3-0 with 2 KO stoppages. Takam was forced to travel to New Zealand when promoters there simply came up with more for the match than their French counterparts. What awaits him in the form of Joseph Parker is a young talent who was spotted early by former Olympian Kevin Barry. The last three decades hav eseen most of New Zealand’s top fighters work with Barry, and the now seasoned trainer spotted Parker early on and he has devoted all his knowledge and experience towards nurturing Parker and bringing him along. By all accounts, the fight with Takam is a step up fight as Takam is definitely the toughest opponent Parker has faced. For parker howeer, the goal has always been a run at the world heavyweight championships, and Takam is just another stepping stone. London’s O2 Arena sees David Haye make the second fight of his comeback as he faces undefeated Arnold Gjergjaj (29-0) of Switzerland. The fight sees Haye coming in a big -6250 favorite, with the comeback on Gjergjaj at +2500. the bout is scheduled for 12 rounds and has an over/under set at just 3 1/2, with the over paying +120 and the under at -160. The bottom line is that Hye is self-[promoting his comeback and this show, and he is looking to get back into the big money fights. His return last January against Marc De Mori drew more than 4 million viewers in the United Kingdom, an astounding number. Gjergjaj is an unknown on the world level, having fought his entire career in Switzerland. Also on te card is American heavyweight Shannon Briggs, and a match-up between Briggs and haye is something that may be in the works for alte rin the year.
