How Joshua beat Parker on points
Anthony Joshua unified the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles as a controlled performance saw him earn a unanimous points win over Joseph Parker at a tense Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The Briton, who also holds the IBO belt, used his left hand to telling effect throughout an intriguing affair, in which New Zealand’s Parker displayed swift hands, movement and impressive durability.
But his WBO title always looked like it would end up round Joshua’s waist as a significant points gap opened up, with the favourite landing of a hard left uppercut in round eight and two stinging left hooks early in the 10th.
Parker tagged his rival to howls of concern in the 11th and he deserves immense respect for becoming the first man to take Joshua to the scorecards, which read 118-110 118-110 119-109.
After just 21 fights, Anthony Joshua is a three-belt world heavyweight boxing champion. He finally knows what it’s like to go 12 rounds, too.
Frustrated by the movement of Joseph Parker and the irritating interventions of inexperienced referee Giuseppe Quartarone, Joshua required a decision by the judges to add the WBO belt to his WBA and IBF titles.
It was never in doubt, with two judges awarding it to Joshua 118-110 and the other making it 119-109. It was Parker’s first loss in 25 fights, and Joshua 21st straight win.
Parker and his camp were frustrated by the way Italian referee Giuseppe Quartarone repeatedly intervened to stop any close-quarter work developing between the two boxers.
They questioned the Italian’s suitability for taking charge of such a big fight given what they said was his poor grasp of English.
“We’re not blaming the ref (for the defeat) but he couldn’t really speak English,” said Parker. “I wanted to work on the inside more.”
Parker’s trainer, Kevin Barry, agreed. “Obviously when one guy (Parker) has got a 76-inch reach and the other guy has got 84 or 85, it’s important when we do close the distance so that we are able to work,” he said.
“Unfortunately for us, the referee just didn’t allow us to do that. I knew he was from Italy but I obviously expected we would have a guy who could communicate with the two participants fighting.”
But Joshua’s trainer McCracken countered: “When he explained the rules for two minutes he spoke English.”
Joshua called for a heavyweight unification fight with Deontay Wilder, the WBC heavyweight champion, saying it was “not time to sit back and enjoy the ride”, after beating Parker in Cardiff on Sunday.
But the London 2012 Olympic champion was in a more considered mood at the post-fight press conference.
“2018 was always a time to capture all the belts,” said Joshua, flanked by promoter Eddie Hearn and trainer Rob McCracken. “We are one away now. In my eyes, it’s not time to sit back and enjoy the ride.”
The unbeaten Wilder took to Twitter after Saturday’s contest in front of a 78,000 capacity crowd at the Principality Stadium to insist he was “the baddest man in the world, the baddest man on the planet, and that’s fact”.
Joshua refused to rise to Wilder’s comments, including a previous remark when the American said he wanted a “body” on his record. “I’m not into the business of hype, hype, talk, talk,” he said. “I’d love to maybe go to America with Eddie and Rob and look at the landscape and see how serious they are, and deal with this behind closed doors.”
Hearn added: “I think it has to happen in 2018 otherwise we are going to hit some major problems with the politics and the mandatories (mandatory defences of the various belts).
“If they (Wilder’s camp) stepped up and were actually serious about the fight, and serious about a deal we are more than fair to offer them, it could happen next.
Joshua v Deontay: Unification fight talks may start, next week
Negotiations for a world heavyweight title unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder could start next week, says promoter Barry Hearn.
Joshua is eyeing Wilder’s WBC belt after adding to WBO title to his IBF and WBA crowns with a unanimous points win over Joseph Parker on Saturday.
“It is a fight Anthony Joshua really wants and I think he wants it this year,” Hearn said.
But Joshua, 28, says he will not pay Wilder a financial “bonus”.
Hearn, chairman and founder of Joshua’s promoters Matchroom, told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sportsweek programme: “Anthony Joshua wants all the belts – that is the big card Deontay Wilder has got to play [but] commercially, Joshua is far bigger than Deontay Wilder.
“I think Wilder would come over here [the UK] because in the world we live in, in boxing, the couple of million dollars Wilder is getting for a fight is pretty small fry in comparison to the rewards that await him for a Joshua fight.
“I think negotiations will start next week.”
A bout between Joshua and Wilder would deliver the first man to hold all four major heavyweight titles.
Joshua says he is in “the most powerful” negotiating position, adding: “Why do I do all this work to give someone else a bonus? Am I getting a bonus now?”
Pointing at his titles, he added: “This is what it’s all about, our side are serious about the negotiations.
“I think 2018 was about getting all the belts and we are one away now. I’m not in the business of hype, hype, hype. I’d love to maybe go to America and look at the landscape and see how serious they are, deal with it behind closed doors.
“Negotiations are on social media a lot now but it’s serious business and I think you have to sit down privately.
“Look at every one of these belts now, I will have to be the most powerful man on a negotiating table.”
Reactions
Tyson Fury
Fury labelled Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker a ‘pair of bums’ and called their Cardiff showdown a ‘s*** fight’.
The former world heavyweight champion released eight Instagram story videos throughout and after Joshua’s points win over Parker.
“They’re (Joshua and Parker) a pair of wooden tops, a pair of bums,” the 29-year-old said. “No panache, no flair, no show — waste of money. Charging £20 a pop for this, what a joke.”
Fury added: “AJ is no superstar — I am the man. I could beat AJ in my comeback. He’s not good enough to be my sparring partner.”
Fury went on to say Joshua would lose to American WBC champion Deontay Wilder. “That was a load of s***. Joshua is a bum. I’d knock him spark out,” Fury said. “That was a s*** fight, s*** performance by both fighters. AJ, please don’t fight Wilder because he’ll knock you spark out — take my £50 million instead.”
@LennoxLewis: I thought AJ fought a great fight. I kno fans want blood but sometimes it just not there. AJ kept proper distance 2keep JP at end of jap but out or range of JP’s jab. JP’s hands were faster than i thought but his game plan was too one dimensional. Good big un beats a good lil un!
@officialcwood: Fair play AJ, great fighter! @joeboxerparker done us all proud!
@luke11campbell: What’s everyone’s prediction for #JoshuaVsParker I’m going to say Joshua between rounds 5/8
@SonnyBWilliams :Time to make history uso @joeboxerparker #letsgetit
@joeboxerparker: better than many thought. Both these men would have problems with Wilder and Fury. REF HAS BEEN HORRENDOUS!
Jordan Coombe: There was plenty of support and applauds from some of the sport’s and New Zealand’s biggest stars, including Sonny Bill Williams, Lennox Lewis, All White Chris Wood and former All Black Steven Luatua.
Statistics
Anthony Joshua won a wide unanimous decision (119-109, 118-110×2) over Joseph Parker on Saturday night at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales to add the WBO heavyweight title to his WBA and IBF crowns.
Joshua’s jab and the threat of his big right hand kept Parker on his back foot throughout. Joshua controlled the center of the ring and pressed forward for all 12 rounds, but Parker’s speed and movement seemed to stagnate his opponent’s attack. Joshua threw a number of uppercuts during the brief opportunities the two men had to engage on the inside (more on that in a second) but Parker was able to evade the mammoth shots.
In fact, there were no big punches landed in the fight, despite it being contested at close range for every round.
I had it even up to the 12th and felt Joshua definitively took the final frame. There were a lot of close rounds that could have gone either way, so scoring disparities in boxing’s flawed judging system were bound to occur, and the pro-Joshua crowd in Wales also played a role.
Action was replaced by strategy, caution and a terrible display of refereeing. Giuseppe Quartarone was overaggressive. He separated the two big heavyweights every time they clinched which nullified any inside fighting that might have led to a more exciting fight.
