Tag Archives: Joseph

Posted on 09/04/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Although the negations took longer than expected, former Heavyweight champion Jospeh Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) have finally agreed to terms for their bout. Both men are set to clash on October 26th, at the O2 arena, in the United Kingdom.

Chisora has always been up and down through out his career. He has been in countless big fights but has come up short every time out.

Bouts against Tyson Fury, David Haye, Vitali Klitschko and Dillian Whyte (twice) have ended with Chisora on his back. On the 26th of October he won’t just have a former champion in front of him but an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his career.

It was as recent as 2016 when Parker was labeled as a world champion. With back to back wins under his belt, Chisora could claim the biggest scalp of his career thus far. The motivation will be at an all-time high for Chisora but so will it be for Parker.

New Zealand’s first world champion will have his chance to get back into the championship mix. Parker will also be given the chance to erase several bad memories that are associated with the United Kingdom.

The former champions two defeats came across the pond when he took on former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former title challenger Dillian Whyte. Parker fought hard in both contest but he did not come out with the victory.

Parker’s contest with Chisora will be the second of a three fight deal he has signed with promoter Eddie Hearn earlier this year.

The record of Chisora, which included nine losses won’t provide comfort for Parker. Chisora is a veteran in the sport of boxing and has been on a roll ever since losing to Whyte. In fact, Chisora is undefeated during the 2019 calendar year.

“He’s coming off two good wins, so he’ll be full on confidence and out to make a statement,” said Parker. “As always, I back myself against any fighter on this planet and I’m expecting an exciting war on October 26th.”

One of those previously mentioned wins for Chisora came against Artur Szpilka, a 2016 title challenger. Chisora obliterated him in just two rounds earlier this year. He’ll be looking to do the exact same thing come October 26th to Joseph Parker.

“I’m a real fighter,” said Chisora. “I’m always ready to go to war. Szpilka felt what Derek ‘War’ Chisora is all about.”

At this point in their respective careers, neither man can afford a loss. A win can propel either man to the front of line in terms of championship aspirations.

Posted on 08/03/2019

By: Hans Themistode

It isn’t often that you will find a young child who says that they want to be a boxer when they get older. A firefighter, basketball player, football player, doctor or maybe even an astronaut. These are the norms.

There are those such as Floyd Mayweather who grew up in a family full of boxers. Becoming one himself was predestined. Others may not have the boxing blood running through their family, but are such fans of the sport that becoming a boxer is what they long for.

In short, unless you have grown up watching the sport of boxing or have it as a part of your bloodlines already, then it is most likely that boxing is not in your future.

Why should it be? It is a brutal sport. Kill or be killed. Fight to survive.

That is the exact motto that Nigeria’s Helen Joseph lives by.

Growing up in Nigeria, Joseph (15-3-2, 10 KOs) had nothing. We all have heard of these stories. Young children growing up to have very little. The difference with those stories and the one of Jospeh is that she had nothing and no one at all to help her grow into the woman that she is today. Nor did she have much knowledge about the sport boxing prior to getting herself involved.

“I did not have anything growing up. I had no mother, no father, nothing, I lost my mother very young,” said Joseph. “I was never supposed to be a boxer. I come from a poor background. Where I come from no one knows anything about sports. We did not even have a television. I come from a country where you have to struggle for everything that you want. It was not easy for me to get to this point.”

Struggle is exactly what she did growing up as child and continues to do today. Joseph has battled long. Stretches of inactivity for most of her career. Her August 3rd, 2019 showdown against Edina Kiss is her first bout in over a year. In 2018 she also made one ring appearance.

The same trend continued in 2016 and 2015. Although it is frustrating for Jospeh to continue to sit back and hope to land more fights, she does understand why she has had such issues.

“Whenever we get a fight, the girls end up finding out exactly who I am and call my manager to tell him that we are not ready for Helen Jospeh. Most of the girls are avoiding me.”

With 15 wins along 3 defeats and 10 of those victories coming via stoppage, plastered across her record, Joseph has an impressive resume. She is soft spoken and kind but does have a mean streak to her. That side of her can be triggered when mentioning the losses on her record. According to Joseph, those losses were unjustly given to her.

“With the losses on my record I was cheated. I went to their hometown and I won the fight but they don’t want to give me the victory. They know that they cannot beat me.”

Women’s boxing often times lacks depth. Meaning, a title shot could be forth coming at any given moment for just about any of these women. Joseph is hoping that a win this Saturday night will lead exactly to the title shot she has been longing for.

“I have been calling out the champions for a very long time. I am no longer calling them out anymore. If they want to fight with Helen Joseph then all they have to do is call me. I am the best in the division.”

It isn’t just her skills that lends her to believe that she is the best in her division. The trials and tribulations that she has gone through has molded her to becoming an elite fighter. There is nothing that can happen to her inside of the ring that can compare to what she has dealt with outside of it.

“If I had the opportunity that others has had then I would be the best but I don’t get the same chances. I struggled with no mother and no father. Anything I seen on the street is what I ate to survive. I see myself as the best because I train when I have no food in my stomach. I fight when I have no medical attention. I fight no matter what.”

For Joseph, fighting in the ring pales in comparison to fighting outside of it. The struggles that she has gone through has allowed her to perceiver through her own challenges.

Although Joseph has her eyes on putting on a dominant performance against Kiss, she did take the time out to recognize two former fighters in Hugo Santillan and Maxim Dadashev who both passed away recently because of their respective fights in the ring.

“I believe those fighters that passed away are heroes and should be celebrated. I have so much respect for them. They will always be heroes.”

As for what fans can expect for Joseph come fight night, that is simple.

“If I get the chance to knock her out I will take it. I just know that Edina Kiss and these other women will never defeat Helen Joseph.”

Posted on 06/30/2019

By Robert Aaron Contreras

On Saturday, middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (28-0, 17 KO) wanted to put on a show on for his hometown faithful as he knocked down Sulecki (28-2, 11 KO) in the first round, setting the tone early for what would be a shutout unanimous-decision victory at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Andrade’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island.

Andrade, fighting in his own backyard for the first time in his 28-fight career, was firing from his hip like never before against Sulecki, who stood his ground. But Andrade, with heavier punches and supreme ring generalship, picked up every round, winning 120-107 across the board.

“Sulecki came forward the whole night and allowed me to use my tools,” Andrade said in ring after the fight before claiming to have carried Sulecki in hopes of securing a fight with the the other middleweight elite. “I gave people another great 12 rounds of boxing. Sulecki ain’t no pushover… He ain’t no Steve Rolls, ain’t no Rocky Fielding so Canelo [Alvarez] where are your cajones at—let’s get it. There is no more Top 10 guys anymore, I keep beating them. Where’s Canelo? Where’s Golovkin?”

“Forget the WBC shit, whatever that ‘franchise’ belt is. Canelo, let’s go. Let’s unify this division—let’s have one champion.”

The first two rounds saw Andrade more aggressive than ever. The defending champion opened the contest from a crouched position—at times nearly sitting on his heels—and exploding into offense. He pitched volley after volley of overhand lefts.

Taking time to send one or two to the midsection of Sulecki, changing the visiting fighter’s eye level, it wasn’t long before a couple of the winging punches ricocheted off the very top of the challenger’s forehead.

Sulecki was felled onto the seat of his pants within the first 60 seconds. Already at a disadvantage, Sulecki in the second frame attempted to match Andrade’s feints but was quickly overcome with more looping blows, while unable to land cleanly on the mobile champion.

Andrade, 31, didn’t bother throwing a real jab until the fourth stanza. His dynamic, occasionally wild, slugging attack was keeping the 30-year-old Sulecki at bay and the partisan crowd on their toes.

The action cooled in the middle stages. Andrade began relying on constant shifts, continually moving out and away from Sulecki’s right hand. The American would simultaneously swing his back foot around, avoiding Sulecki’s path, and slap his man with a right hand: then a left hook: another right, followed up with yet more stinging left hands. An overwhelming attack.

Andrade was just showing off in Round 7, crouching and sitting so low on his punches, the challenger landed sparingly as his target sank below even his waistline. Otherwise, Andrade was potshotting his way to victory with relative ease. He even dropped his hands, and navigating the roving area around Sulecki, springing in for jolting southpaw jabs and flinging left hands.

The championship rounds were more of the same. The closing minute saw Andrade dancing and shimmying, interchanging his shuffling feet with winging punches, as if mimicking the stylized methodology of Emmanuel Augustus. There were no more knockdowns, few moments of tension, and another easy win (albeit over a quality opponent) for Andrade.

According to punch statistics, Andrade landed 133 of 496 total punches (27 percent) of which 94 were power punches. Sulecki connected on 51 of 331 (15 percent), just 36 were power punches.

It was Andrade’s second title defense since lifting the WBO strap at the end of 2018, making for three wins over just the last eight months. All on DAZN, he is hoping that is enough to lure Canelo out of a superfight with Sergey Kovalev and instead into a 160-pound unification.

Joseph Parker, Khal Yafai take care of business in chief-support

Parker (26-2, 20 KO) and Yafai both needed impressive outings in Rhode Island. But each man seemed to fall short.

First, in a tenth-round knockout over former championship contender Alex Leapai (32-8-4, 26 KO), Parker looked discouraged after more resistance than expected from a washed heavyweight who will turn 40 in a few months.

“I haven’t been in the ring for half a year, I got more rounds than I expected. But damn he has a hard head,” Parker said, with Eddie Hearn standing next to him. “I’m very exciting about my deal with Matchroom [Promotions].”

The fight was still Parker’s from the beginning. The first round was him at his best: masking body punches with flairs upstairs, gently swiping his opponent’s guard and spiking Leapai’s gut with sharp punches. But by the second period, those punches were veering just too low for referee Ricky Gonzalez’s liking and Parker was warned twice.

Parker was back on the offensive over the next two rounds. Leapai found some success walking Parker down for moments in the third round and the first part of the sixth stanza. But the younger man’s jab saved the day, drilling the shot into Leapai’s head and body in Round 7.

Leapai’s nose was leaking by the eighth but Parker let him off the hook. Save for some right crosses, with Leapai missing wildly with overhands, the former champion hardly engaged in that round and the ninth. Alas, two minutes into the fateful tenth, Parker sent a right hand between Leapai’s gloves that made him stumble backwards. And moments later, a big right softened his knees and a follow-up uppercut was all referee Gonzalez wanted to see, waving the fight off.

When asked about his plans amid the new heavyweight landscape, Parker had a few names on his mind.

“I want to avenge the losses I have: Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua. Then I want to fight Andy Ruiz again. He thought he won. I won, that’s what’s in the record books.”

Tucked away under heavyweights despite being a title fight, Yafai, 30, turned away a brash challenger in Alberto Jimenez on scores of 117-109, 119-107, and 118-108. It was no surprise to see all three judges behind the defending champion. But referee Danny Schiavone was on his side too.

The first half of the 12-rounder included a point deduction from Jimenez for holding and Yafai ignoring a call to break from the referee, instead opting to deliver brutal punches to the challenger’s groin. The heinous shots at least opened up the action between the two and the second half of Round 5 was worth the price of admission—antithetical to the boxing lesson the defending champion orchestrated over the first four rounds.

In the seventh period, Jimenez was able to carve up Yafai’s guard. As well as nearly the entirety of the eighth frame. That is until Yafai killed all his momentum with more blows below the belt. And with Jimenez on all fours, referee Schiavone for some reason rushed him to his feet. He should’ve allowed Jimenez at least five minutes to collect himself.

It was all for not. Yafai went back to pelting at his man. The Dominican was complacent to jog off the clock, just like his first title opportunity back in 2014, biding his time far too long. And in the 12th round, the referee was back in the center of attention when he called a knockdown for Yafai. Yet replays revealed more of a cuff and push from the champion that simply threw Jimenez off balance.

Victorious, Yafai has now defended his belt five times, the most of any United Kingdom representative in boxing today.

Posted on 05/04/2019

By: William Holmes

The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada was the host site for tonight’s middleweight showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs on the DAZN Streaming network.

The main card started at 9pm, and the undercard before the main card featured a shocking 13-1 underdog upset by Anthony “Juice” Young of Pleasantville, New Jersey over former junior middleweight champion Sadam Ali by a third round stoppage.

The first fight of the main card was in the super featherweight division Jonathan Oquendo (30-5) and Lamont Roach Jr. (18-0-1).

Both boxers fought out of an orthodox stance and Oquendo was pressing forward early and able to land some shots that forced blood to come from Roach’s nose.

Roach was landing some solid hooks on Oquendo in the second round, but Oquendo was banging to the body and applying heavy pressure. Oquendo was warned in the third round for holding Roach and to keep his head up.

Oquendo had Roach hurt badly in the fourth round with some body shots that forced Roach to hold on for most of the round. However, Roach turned the tide back in his favor in the fifth round by landing some heavy shots, though he landed one at a time instead of throwing combinations.

Oquendo’s activity likely won him the sixth round, and he was the more active fighter in the seventh also though Roach did land some hard counters.

Oquendo lost a point in the eight round for an headbutt which was a little bit questionable. The final two rounds played out like most of the fight, with Oquendo pressing the pace but Roach landing the cleaner shots.

The judges scored it 97-92, 97-92, and 96-93 for Lamont Roach Jr.

The next bout of the night was Freddy Fonseca (26-2-1) and Joseph Diaz (28-1) in the super featherweight division.

Fonseca and Diaz both fought out of a southpaw stance, and this was Fonseca’s first fight in the United States.

Diaz looked strong and healthy at 130 pounds, and landed heavy body and head shots early on. By the third round it was clear that Diaz was clearly the superior fighter, and had landed 50% of his power shots by the fourth round.

Fonseca had a decent fifth round, though was still out struck and out landed by Diaz. Diaz brutalized Fonseca in the sixth round and out landed him 30-4 in punches and scored a late round knockdown when Fonseca was forced to take a knee.

Diaz continued to land power shots at will in the sixth round and forced Fonseca’s corner to step up and stop the fight.

Joseph Diaz wins by TKO at 2:07 of the seventh round.

The co-main event of the night was between Vergil Ortiz (12-0) and Mauricio Herrera (24-8) in the welterweight division.

Herrera looked a little soft going into the ring, but he was a rugged veteran who’s been in the ring with some tough fighters.

Ortiz showed off his power early by being patient and solving the jab of Herrera and hurting him with a left hook at the end of the round. Ortiz remained patient in the second round and badly hurt Herrera at the end of the round and forced a knockdown as the round came to an end. Herrera got back to his feet, but was badly hurt as he returned to his corner.

Ortiz came out blazing in the third round and landed a crushing straight right hand that sent Herrera to the mat and forced the referee to stop the bout.

Vergil Ortiz wins by TKO at 0:29 of the third round.

Posted on 10/18/2018

By: Jake Donovan

The story going into the initial announcement for Joseph Parker’s year-end bout in Christchurch, New Zealand was a long-awaited return to his home country.

The opponent that has been secured for that very occasion also indicates a need for a long-awaited return to the win column.

Photo Credit: Joseph Parker Twitter Account

Parker’s forthcoming hometown showcase now has an official dance partner, as the former heavyweight titlist will square off with California’s Alexander Flores. The bout will headline at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand, marking Parker’s first home country appearance since a 12-round win over Razvan Cojanu last May.

On the surface, the selection of Flores (17-1-1, 15KOs) is designed to ensure that Parker (24-2, 18KOs) enters 2019 on a high note after having suffered back-to-back losses. While there is no shame in suffering defeats to unbeaten, unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua and top-rated contender Dillian Whyte, winning still goes a long way in this sport.

Still, where some see an inexperienced opponent, Parker’s handlers are focused on the combination of a perceived knockout artist coming in with nothing to lose.

“With Joseph coming off two straight defeats – however unlucky – a third defeat would be catastrophic for his career,” Duco Events’ David Higgins said. “Alexander’s undoubted punching power makes this an extremely dangerous assignment for Joseph – so it is fair to say I am the most nervous I have ever been before a fight.”

Meanwhile, Parker’s chosen opponent couldn’t be any calmer heading into by far the biggest opportunity of his career.

“There is no way this fight goes 10 rounds,” insists Flores, whose lone career loss came at the hands of former titlist Charles Martin in 2014 when both were unbeaten prospects. “I’m going to knock him out. A lot of people might not have heard of Alexander ‘The Great’ yet – but they’ll all know who I am after December 15.”

Flores—a 28-year old Mexican-American from California—is unbeaten in his last four starts following the aforementioned loss to Martin. He attributes the setback to the minimal time he had to train for the opportunity after accepting the fight on less than two weeks notice.

Three consecutive knockout wins in Mexico has put Flores on the right track, but in Parker takes a massive leap in competition level. Still, a confident fighter is a dangerous fighter, or so goes the motivational speech in the former titlist’s training camp.

“We’ve known for some time it was likely to be Flores and it is great to have that confirmed,” Kevin Barry, Parker’s head trainer revealed. “These guys are the same height and they both pack a serious punch, so it stacks up as a great contest. This is a dangerous fight. A fight where Joseph Parker is fighting for his career.”

“After a five-year undefeated run that took Joe all the way to the WBO World Title, we now find ourselves in very unusual territory, coming off back-to-back losses. Joe has never been in this position before and needs a top performance. Joe finds himself under huge pressure to not only to win this fight, but to win big and get his career back on track.”

Prior to the aforementioned losses to Joshua and Whyte, Parker enjoyed more than a year-long stay as an unbeaten heavyweight titlist. He first laid claim to alphabet hardware in a Dec. ’16 points win over Andy Ruiz in New Zealand, where he remained for his first title defense in outpointing Cojanu.

Three straight road trips followed, all taking place in jolly old England. Parker came up aces in the first leg of the UK tour, outpointing Hughie Fury last September before conceding his belt to Joshua in their unification bout this past April.

A far more bitter pill to swallow was his subsequent loss to Whyte this past July. Parker’s slow start and two suffered knockdowns proved too much to overcome, despite his late rally and dropping Whyte in the 12th and final round.

Rather than dwell on two straight losses for the rest of the year, Parker was eager to get one more fight in 2018. Now that he has a confirmed opponent, a clear state of mind comes of his preparation for fight night.

“I’m really glad that Alex is coming to New Zealand full of confidence,” Parker admits. “For me boxing is all about the challenge – and this is another big one. I know what is stake, I need to win and win well.

“I need to knock him out and I will knock him out. But I can’t focus on that. I need to focus on getting better each and every time I get in the ring.”

Posted on 10/15/2018

By: Oliver McManus

12 months can be a long time in the sport of boxing – it can see you go from the cusp of retirement to the brink of a world title and for these next boxers, they’ll be hoping that 2019 is the year for them because these are five fighters in need of a BIG 12 months.

Photo of Jay Harris and Kristian Touze

Andrew Selby – Flyweight
There was a time, not so long ago, that we thought we had seen the last of Andrew Selby when he announced “I’m not fighting anymore”, quite understandably this prompted confusion because for a long time he had been scheduled to fight for the European title – indeed a clash with Vincent Legrand was postponed back in June – and Selby was deemed, by many, far good a talent to be allowed to go to waste.

Last month, at last, there was some good news as Jamie Sanigar won the purse bids for his challenge to, Frenchman, Legrand and set a firm date for the Welshman’s return – October 27th at the Newport Centre. Since then there has been mixed signals about the fight with no official confirmation save for the European Boxing Union website who, incidentally, have assigned officials for the contest but the good news is that Selby is back in the gym with fire in his belly, once more.

Further to that, consider the former Team GB member has been mandated to fight Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar in a world title eliminator with the winner set to face, WBC Champion, Cristofer Rosales – a man who Selby comfortably outpointed last May – and you start to see the makings of a sensational 2019 where, if all goes well, we could see the crowning of a new British world champion.

Anthony Yarde – Light Heavyweight
With one sharp intake of breath we get reminded that Yarde is the number 2 ranked challenger with the World Boxing Organization and, swiftly after, it is explained to us that he’s still not ready for a world title because he’s learning the trade.

Now there’s nothing wrong with either of those statements but the constant juxtaposition of the two leave me crying out for Yarde to have a monumental 2019 and this is nothing to do with Anthony Yarde, not at all, because he is a genuinely nice guy and rather this frustration is born out of a desire for him to do well and prove critics wrong – at least, attempt to prove them wrong.

Since fighting Nikola Sjekloca on December 9th, Yarde has seen his stock fall with the 27 year old facing, less than inspiring, Tony Averlant and Dariusz Sek in the meantime; that performance against Sjekloca was a top quality, high energy, explosive performance against a respectable opponent whilst against Averlant and Sek it is almost as though he’s dropped down to their level.

Next out on October 20th Yarde, now 16 and 0, will face the Argentine national champion Walter Gabriel Sequeira who steps up to the plate after, it is believed, Sean Monaghan priced himself out after initially accepting the fight – regardless, the whole boxing world wants to see Yarde get in the ring with an opponent will provide him with a solid test and there are plenty of British light-heavies that would be gunning for the fight.

Hopefully, for him and us, 2019 will see Anthony Yarde start to really make his mark on the 175lb scene.

Lawrence Okolie – Cruiserweight

British, Commonwealth, WBA Continental Champion with only 10 fights under his belt, things are going pretty well for Okolie from a belts point of view and you certainly can’t criticise Okolie for the guys he’s been willing to face – Isaac Chamberlain, Luke Watkins and Matty Askin in only his eighth, ninth and tenth fights.

That’s all fine and dandy but his much-hyped contests against Chamberlain and Askin, in particular, have failed to live up to the expectations as Okolie imposed a largely physical, holding game-plan much to the irritation of those watching.

Far be it from me to criticise a professional boxer unnecessarily but Okolie himself admits his performances were disappointing and, yes he got the win, but he’s in a situation where he needs to start letting his hands go and relaxing through the bout in order to become a big Box Office attraction.

With strong amateur pedigree, Okolie was always going to take a hastened route to the top but the cruiserweight sensation needs to go back to basics and work the jab to tee up openings that he can exploit in order to look every bit as good as we know he can be.

Plenty of domestic challengers are salivating at a potential fight with the Hackney-man and I like Okolie, I really like him, but time is a friend not an enemy and, having smashed his way through his first 10 fights, he can afford to be patient for 2019 in terms of names but the performances need to be big.

Okolie needs to be seen as adaptive and exciting otherwise people, having seen what they have, will be inclined to switch off – I’ve little doubt as to the quality and desire of the cruiserweight prospect so he should be able to take it in his stride!

Joseph Parker – Heavyweight
Returning to the ring on December 15th having been subjected to back-to-back losses against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, respectively, Joseph Parker is in danger of becoming the forgotten talent of heavyweight boxing.

Making history by becoming the first New Zealand heavyweight world champion, you’d be hard pressed to suggest that Parker looked impressive in the fight that saw him crowned WBO king – against Andy Ruiz – or indeed in his subsequent defences over Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury and, actually, that fight against Dillian Whyte is, arguably, the best we’ve seen Parker.

That sounds weird to say given that he was on the reverse side of a unanimous decision but when Parker really got into his rhythm he was able to control the tempo of the fight, force Whyte into hot water and he looked like a physically imposing roughhouse fighter as opposed to the technical man we’ve got used to seeing.

It raised questions of WHY haven’t we seen this fire and aggression from the Kiwi before and whilst I can’t answer that question, I look forward to seeing how it impacts the 26 year olds fight plans going forward.

Parker gets the benefit of being in a comparatively weak heavyweight pool of talent than in years previous with a distinct gulf in quality even ranging throughout the top 15 and that should, on paper, ensure that Parker gets back into the world title mix sooner rather than later and, certainly, there are relatively few challengers that you wouldn’t tip Duco’s main man to topple.

The rebuild starts on December 15th, the climb back to a world title shot continues into 2019.

Jay Harris

Now this is the slightly left field option for this article because who said I was going for the obvious? Jay Harris is a fighter who has had a frustrating year thus far with the Commonwealth flyweight champion scheduled to defend his belt – won via unanimous decision over Thomas Essomba back in February 2017 – against Dexter Marques back the first quarter of the year before visa issues put that fight indefinitely on hold.

He would fight for the first time in nine months when he entered the ring at the Llandarcy Academy of Sport on August 11th and eased his way to a 60-55 points decision over Critisan Narvaez and with those rounds under his belt he quickly set about establishing a date to defend his coveted belt.

That fight, against Ross Murray, was scheduled for this month but pushed back ever so slightly to November 3rd at York Hall; Mo Prior, the man behind British Warriors, has taken the Welsh flyweight under his wing and is already on a mission to provide Harris with regular fight dates for, put simply, the 28 year old is a sumptuous talent.

With one on the winner of Ryan Farrag vs Sunny Edwards – that bout for the WBO European Super Flyweight strap – Harris has already been mandated for the British Super Flyweight belt as well as the EBU-EU title so there are plenty of opportunities available for the Swansea-man, and that’s without even considering the permutations of the CBC!

By no means is this an exhaustive list of fighters who require a big one next year nor, for that matter, is it the five fighters who need it the MOST but they are guys who, in my opinion, should be hoping to leave a mark over the course of the next 12 months.

For guys like Jay Harris it is through no fault of their own that they are in the frustrating situation that they are and, certainly, there are plenty other candidates for this article – Kell Brook, Amir Khan, Liam Walsh, Roman Gonzalez to name just a handful but keep an eye out on these five fellas as they look for a career-best 2019.

Posted on 10/03/2018

By Jake Donovan

It hasn’t been the kindest of years to Joseph Parker, but he will get to end 2018 on a high note—with a long overdue New Zealand homecoming.

The former heavyweight titlist will return to his homeland for his first home fight since May ’17, as promoter Duco Events confirmed his next ring appearance on December 15 at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand.

An opponent has yet to be named for the occasion, but for the moment remains secondary to regaining some of the swagger lost in recent months.

“Whoever they put in front of me I need to get the job done – and get it done well,” Parker said during a confirming press conference on Wednesday. “Having experienced what it is like to reach the pinnacle of the sport, and then come back down again after a couple of tough defeats, I’m more motivated than ever to get back on top.”

Parker (24-2, 18KOs) began the year as a heavyweight titlist, having won a 12-round win over then-unbeaten Andy Ruiz in their Dec. ’16 vacant title fight. Two successful defenses followed: a 12-round win over Razvan Cojanu in May ’17, his last fight in New Zealand; and a road win over Hughie Fury last September in Manchester, England.

The aforementioned bout was the first of three in the United Kingdom, but his last both as a titlist or undefeated boxer. Parker fell well short in a 12-round points loss to Anthony Joshua in their high-profile title unification clash this past March, and again in a disappointing defeat to Dillian Whyte in their title elimination clash in July.

“After a five-year undefeated run that took Joseph all the way to winning the WBO World Title we now find ourselves in very unusual territory – coming off back-to-back losses,” noted Kevin Barry, Parker’s longtime trainer. “Joe has never been in this position before and needs a top performance.”

There’s hardly any shame in suffering defeats to the likes of Joshua and Whyte, but the latter has left a bitter taste in his mouth. Parker struggled early, even hitting the deck twice before rallying in the championship rounds.

It proved too little, too late, even with Whyte being floored and forced to spend the rest of the fight in survival mode.

“I could have and should have won that fight, but that’s boxing,” Parker admits. “It’s now time to get back to work. I can’t wait to fight again in Christchurch. I’ve got really good memories from my last time there (a fourth round KO of Solomon Haumono in July 2016). It’s a great homecoming for me.”

The location was also a no-brainer for his handlers, who rejected offers from other hosts in the decision to return home.

“We had plenty of options for Joseph’s return fight after a couple of tough but highly credible losses,” stated David Higgins, director of operations for Duco Events. “But Christchurch was a clear front runner from very early on.

“We’ve got great partners in the city, such as ChristchurchNZ, Christchurch Airport and Christchurch Casino. It’s thanks to their unwavering support of Joseph that we’re able to bring what will be a fantastic event to the city.”

With the right performance, it will also provide the first step towards another title run for Parker. At the very least, it’s his perfect excuse to head home for the holidays.

Posted on 07/29/2018

By: Ste Rowen

Dillian Whyte overcame a last-minute onslaught from Joseph Parker to win a unanimous 12-round decision and stamp down his status as the number one heavyweight challenger.

Now 24-1 (17KOs), Whyte was by far and away the more active of the two fighters. The former British champion was walking down the New Zealander for the majority of the fight. In the 2nd round the two heavyweights appeared to awkwardly clash heads, which forced Parker into losing his balance and hitting the canvas. The referee scored it a knockdown for Whyte, and whether it dented Joseph’s morale or really did affect him physically, the knockdown set the tone for the majority of the fight. Dillian piled on the pressure, and Parker appeared to be waiting for his arms to do something of their own accord.

The former WBO champ fired off a wayward combination here and there but the O2 arena crowd were not getting the performance they expected from the 24-1 (18KOs) fighter. Into the 9th and the ‘Body Snatcher’, Whyte, landed a brutal left hook, which sent Parker sprawling to the floor.

This time there was no doubt about it being a knockdown.

That 10-8 round appeared to make it conclusive in favour of Dillian. The question now seemed to be whether the Brixton fighter would push on for the stoppage or settle for a points win.

Joseph had other things in mind as a rally from him rattled Whyte in the penultimate round. Then in the 12th, Parker dropped the home fighter with a right hand, but it was just too little, too late. Whyte was in trouble, but he held on until the final bell, and both boxers looked as if they knew the result straight away.

The final scorecards were 113-111, 115-110, 114-111, all in favour of Whyte.

‘‘It was a good fight.’’ Said Dillian later. ‘‘Parker’s slick. We knew he was gonna cheat his way through and fight in the last couple of rounds. I’m just annoyed I messed up at the final hurdle… I got rocked, I took a knee. The referee started at 4, I thought he started at 2, he went ‘4’, I was like ‘s***’, I didn’t have time to get up, but I got up so I’m learning.’’

Parker was buoyant in defeat,

‘‘I got 12 rounds to fight, I gave it my best, the other man won but I’m always gonna come back stronger…This is just the beginning.’’

So, what’s next for arguably, the best heavyweight outside of the world title holders,

‘‘I’d like to fight Joshua again in the rematch but there’s still a lot of things to work on, but if he wants it he can have it. I’m the ‘Can-Man’…I might get out again in October, September. I don’t wanna wait that long (Until Joshua’s already scheduled April 2019 date). I’m still inexperienced, I still make a lot of mistakes. So, one more fight between then would be great.’’

Dereck Chisora vs. Carlos Takam

‘‘This was very tough.’’ The words of Dereck Chisora, now 29-8 (21KOs) after his come from behind, 8th round KO-victory over Carlos Takam.

The two African-born fighters went at it from the 1st minute, but it was the Cameroonian-born boxer in Takam, that established the upper hand in the early rounds. Chisora seemed to be stuck to the ropes the first 3 minutes as Carlos landed huge hooks that looked as if he was setting up an early finish.

Dereck survived though, and even strangely refused to sit down in between rounds when told to by trainer, Don Charles. But the former world title challenger continued to take heavy, accumulative punches. Then came the 8th round however, and despite continuing to be the dominant fighter, Takam, 35-4-1 (27KOs) heading into tonight, received a massive overhand right to the temple from the Brit. He was floored, got up and then took an almost identical second right hand which sent him back down and forced the referee into calling an end to the bout. Dereck Chisora is now the WBA ‘International’ heavyweight champion and officially, back in the mix.

‘‘I realised I couldn’t trade with him toe-to-toe. I knew the overhand right was gonna catch him but I could not chuck it in the early rounds cos I knew I’d be left open. So, on that round (Round 8) something in my mind just said ‘You know what? It’s time to send it home. ’’

‘‘I bet you any money I win fight of the year with this fight.’’

‘‘It’s up to these fans who they wanna see me fight. I’ll say names, but I know really and truly they come out and go the other way round. They don’t wanna fight me. I’m 34 but I feel 21 right now.’’

Nick Webb vs. David Allen

Dave Allen, now 14-4-2 (11KOs), surprised everyone with a 4th round, one-punch KO of the previously unbeaten, Nick Webb.

Webb was dominating the bout, even through to round 4, but Allen timed a devastating right hand to send Nick flying through the ropes and springboard Allen, who just a few weeks ago was contemplating retirement, into Lonsdale belt contention.

Posted on 06/21/2018

By: Sean Crose

“Yeah, I prefer being a professional,” Helen Joseph says over the phone. The 15-3-1 women’s bantamweight won the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental Female Bantamweight Title with a win over Elizabeth Anderson last November and is set to face the 13-1 Tyreshia Douglas later this month. There’s more to the New Haven, by way of Nigeria, fighter than just a background in boxing, however. “Karate and kickboxing, too,” she says of her skill set. Right now, though, it’s boxing that’s the woman’s focus. And it’s a focus that thoroughly intense. “I have worked so hard to come to this level today,” she says. “My goal is to be a world champion to be the world’s best.”

Just how determined is the 29 year old known as the “Iron Lady?” She came all the way from Africa to the United States to achieve hr dream. What’s more, Joseph travels from New Haven to New York, not exactly a hop, skip and a jump away, to train. “I train in New York City at my dad’s gym,” she claims. And her home is miles away on the Connecticut shoreline? “Yeah,” she says. “This is where I stay.” Joseph undoubtedly hopes to join other Connecticut notables, such as Marlon Starling, Chad Dawson, John Scully, and the great Willie Pep.

“After this fight,” she says of the impending Douglas bout, “they’re going to give me a chance to have a world title.” Some may say that’s wishful thinking, but Joseph makes it clear that she aims to make a statement when she steps into the ring to face Douglas on the 29th of this month. “I know the way this is going to end,” she says of the bout. “It’s going to shake the world.” Still, Joseph can’t help but feel somewhat avoided. “They don’t want to fight me,” she says of the top names in her weight realm.

So, what does Joseph feel about Douglas, the opponent she’s determined to make mark against? “I know she’s pretty good and she has a lot of fans,” says Joseph. Joseph exudes confidence in the days leading up to the match. “I believe in my God and I believe in myself,” she says. Provided all goes well, Joseph may have more fans who believe in her, as well. It’s hard not to pull for someone who travels so far, who works so hard, to attain a single goal. It may not by easy “to be the world’s best,” but it’s worth keeping in mind that some hungry fighter is always there to fill the top spot.

And that there are few hungrier than Joseph.

Posted on 06/07/2018

By: Oliver McManus

LAST NIGHT we were made aware of a press conference for Dillian Whyte and an unnamed opponent – clearly, then, the Kubrat Pulev fight would not materialise. Dan Rafael from ESPN reported it was Luis Ortiz who would step in and go to war with The Body Snatcher.

Then rumours swirled about Joseph Parker – who had previously signed to fight Bryant Jennings – but David Higgins, Parker’s promoter, refuted these claims as “just hot air”. The rumour seemed to subside but if we’ve learnt anything from Higgins it’s that he’s a crafty old fox.

Photo Credit: Dillian Whyte Twitter Account

Come the announcement this morning at about 09.15 UK time – unseasonably early – we got the big fight; Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker, CONFIRMED, for July 28th at the O2 Arena.

The Pulev fight was an IBF eliminator, the Ortiz fight an eliminator for the WBC and whilst this bout holds no official status it is, arguably, Whyte’s best chance to look elite. Let’s not forget, how could we, that Parker was the first man to ever stretch the imperious, impenetrable Anthony Joshua to a full 12 rounds.

Whyte, no doubt, will be looking to better Joshua’s performance by dispatching with his Kiwi opponent in double-quick time and, in doing so, really staking a claim that “hey, look at me now”. Forget 2015, forget that first fight with AJ, Whyte will be wanting to force Anthony into taking notice of him with a performance to make the world stand up.

Parker, on the other hand, will see this as his chance of redemption and a simple route back to the top of the heavyweight scene – Jennings would have been an easier payday, a smaller payday mind, with less reward for the former WBO titlist but a win over Whyte unlocks a whole plethora of things not least the coveted ranking positions.

If Parker comes over in the same polite, respectful manner as he did against Joshua and managers to defy the expectations in beating Dillian Whyte then he establishes a fan-base in Britain and the potential for even bigger money fights.

Eddie Hearn has gone on record as saying he wants to build a “huge card” for this date in order to justify the Box Office, PPV, status but make no mistake this fight alone is worthy enough such an occasion;

Joseph Parker and Dillian Whyte are, arguably, the two best non-title holders in heavyweight boxing and, so, to see the pair square off when both had other options, is something to look forward to because there will be no lack of aggression in the ring – this will be a proper fight where both men take shots in order to enact their game-plan.

Pulev would have been a, relatively, boring fight with Whyte trying to entice Pulev out of his defensive shell and who knows what Deontay Wilder took out of the aging Luis Ortiz?

THIS IS A FIGHT.

Add to that Kell Brook on the undercard, expected anyway, alongside Daniyar Yeleussinov and you get a night of action that you simply cannot miss.

Love him or loath him, there’s no denying that Eddie Hearn keeps on pulling out fight after fight.

Posted on 05/20/2018

By: William Holmes

Showtime has shown no signs of slowing down in putting on competitive fights with a split site double header on their Showtime World Championship Boxing telecast.

The opening bout of the night was between Gary Russell Jr. (28-1) and Joseph Diaz (26-0) for the WBC Featherweight Title. This bout took place at The Theater at the MGM Grand National Harbor in Maryland.

Joseph Diaz entered the ring first and Russell second to a much louder ovation.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

Both boxers were southpaws and Diaz looked like the bigger fighter, but Russell established early on that he had the better hand speed. He was active with his jab in the opening round and had a strong start to the fight.

Russell continued with his jab in the early parts of the second round, but Diaz had some moderate success to the body and ended the round strong.

The third round was a closer round, but it looked like Diaz was willing to take a few punches from Russell in order to land one punch of his own. Diaz ended the round with two good straight left hands.

Diaz kept a high guard in the fourth and fifth rounds but Russell landed the higher volume of punches while Diaz landed the harder shots to the body. Diaz had a strong fifth round, but Russell came back in the sixth round with his active jab and high volume output.

Russell was the first man to throw and land in the seventh and eighth rounds and looked like he was beginning to walk away with the fight. Russell hand speed was on full display in the ninth round as Diaz was simply not throwing enough punches.

Diaz had a better tenth round and took more risks than earlier rounds, but was also countered more often by the faster Russell.

The final two rounds featured several fierce exchanges, and Russell looked like he was beginning to fade a little bit in the last round, but Diaz wasn’t able to do enough to get a stoppage.
The Judges scored the fight 115-113, 117-111, and 117-111.

The last fight televised by Showtime was a WBC Light Heavyweight Title Fight between Champion Adonis Stevenson (29-1) and challenger Badou Jack (22-1-2) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Stevenson, a southpaw, and Jack, fighting out of an orthodox stance, had spent the better part of two rounds feeling each other out and tried to find their range. Stevenson was able to land some straight left hands in the second and was more active in the third, but Jack was able to land some counters in the third round.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

Jack was able to fire off his punches first in the fourth round but took a good left uppercut from Stevenson with about thirty seconds left. Stevenson was the aggressor in the fifth and sixth rounds while Jack fought mainly out of a tight high guard. Jack was warned for a low blow at the end of the sixth round.

Jack started to come forward in the seventh round and hurt Stevenson with a short right hand followed up by combinations. Jack was snapping the head of Stevenson in the seventh with his uppercuts, but he was warned for a low blow again at the end of the round.

Jack opened up the eighth round with another low blow and Adonis Stevenson was given time to recover. Jack followed up with short right hooks and uppercuts and was able to bust open the nose of Badou jack.

Jack looked like the fresher fighter in the ninth round and had Stevenson stumbling at one point. Stevenson was able to come back and have a strong tenth round when he hurt Jack with a body shot and had Jack peddling backwards.

Stevenson pressed the pace early on in the eleventh round and had Jack in full retreat, but he tired in the middle of the round and Jack re-established dominance in the ring.

Both boxers were able to land some good shots in the final round, but Jack ended the fight strong with a hard combination as the final bell rang.

The judges scored the bout 114-114, 115-113 Jack, 114-114 for a majority draw.

Adonis Steven retains the title with a draw.

Posted on 05/18/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Showtime network will broadcast two fights from two separate locations on a split site feature.

One fight will feature a WBC Light Heavyweight Title Fight between current champion Adonis Stevenson and the Swedish fighter Badou Jack. This bout will be taking place in Toronto, Canada at the Air Canada Centre. The other bout will be a WBC Featherweight Title between Gary Russell Jr. and Joseph Diaz Jr.

Photo Credit: Badou Jack Twitter Account

The following is a preview of both televised fights.

Adonis Stevenson (29-1) vs. Badou Jack (22-1-2); WBC Light Heavyweight Title

Adonis Stevenson has often been mentioned as one of the best light heavyweights in the world along with Sergei Kovalev and Andre Ward, but neither of those fights have ever come to fruition and he’s no forty years old and past his athletic prime.

Stevenson will face a very tough opponent in Badou Jack. Jack is six years younger than Stevenson, but has also been more active. He fought twice in 2017 and once in 2016, while Stevenson only fought once in 2017 and once in 2016.

Stevenson will also be giving up about two inches in height to Jack, but he will have a four inch reach advantage. Stevenson will be fighting in his home country which shouldn’t be a big surpise since he has only fought outside of Canada two times. This will be Jack’s first fight outside of the United States since 2010.

Both boxers had successful amateur careers. Stevenson was a Canadian National Champion and Jack was a Swedish National Champion and a competitor in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Stevenson has defeated the likes of Andrzej Fonfara, Thomas Williams Jr., Tommy Karpency, Sakio Bika, Tony Bellew, Tavoris Cloud, Chad Dawson, and Donovan George. His lone loss was the Darnell Boone, which he later avenged.

Jack also has a good professional resume, though his level of competition in recent fights surpasses that of Stevenson. His lone loss was a shocking TKO upset loss to Derek Edwards in 2014. He has two draws against James DeGale and Marco Antonio Periban. He has defeated the likes of Nathan Cleverly, Lucian Bute, George Groves, Anthony Dirrell, and Marco Antonio Periban.

If this fight happened five years ago Stevenson would have to be considered the favorite. But he’s now forty years old and has been fairly inactive recently while Jack has been steadily facing tougher and tougher competition.

If this fight goes to the Judges scorecards Stevenson may have a slight edge since the fight is happening in Canada, but the timing feels right for Jack to pull off a victory.

Gary Russell Jr. (28-1) vs. Joseph Diaz Jr. (26-0); WBC Featherweight Title

Golden Boy Promotions needs to be given credit for their willingness to throw their fighters in the ring with top fighters from other promotions. The Diaz-Russell fight is a good example of Golden Boy taking a risk by putting one of their top guys against an established champion.

Diaz is twenty five and will be four years younger than Russell. However, Joseph Diaz has been very active since 2016. He fought once in 2018, twice in 2017 and four times in 2016. Russell only fought once in 2017, 2016, and in 2015.

Diaz will have about an inch and a half reach height advantage and both boxers have the same reach. They both represented the United States in the Summer Olympics, Russell in 2008 and Diaz in 2012.

Diaz is a southpaw, and the only boxer that Russell lost to, Vasyl Lomachenko, was a southpaw. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Russell has made since he last fought Lomachenko.

Russell represents the biggest test of Diaz’s young career. He has defeated the likes of Victor Terrazas, Rafael Rivera, Manuel Avila, Jayson Velez, and Ruben Tamayo.

Russell has been fairly inactive for a world champion, but has defeated some very good fighters. He has defeated the likes of Oscar Escandon, Patrick Hyland, Jhonny Gonzlaez, and Christopher Martin. His lone loss was the Vasyl Lomachenko, who has since jumped up two weight classes to dethrone Jorge Linares as the Lightweight Champion.

Russell’s inactivity should be of concern to his camp, especially since he’s facing a young, undefeated, challenger who has a strong amateur pedigree.

This fight will be close, but age and activity has this writer giving Diaz a slight edge on Saturday night.

Posted on 04/02/2018

By: Oliver McManus

When the dust settled in Cardiff on Saturday night, the 80,000 fans made their way home and the blood on the canvas was wiped clean, there were two people left in their dressing rooms to ponder over the contrasting future career trajectories they were left with.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing/Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker went toe-to-toe at the Principality Stadium for the unified WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles of the world in a bruising encounter that saw the British fighting pride move to 21 and 0, one step closer to the title of undisputed heavyweight champion.

Joseph Parker, who fell short in the fight , will have several options following his career high pay day and New Zealand’s first ever heavyweight champion has already seen his stock rise past that of, national legend, David Tua.

For Parker and his promoter David Higgins it was always a brave move to take on Anthony Joshua especially after launching such a strong social media campaign pre-agreement to “bait” AJ and Eddie Hearn into taking the fight. The talk was strong, the game plan was calculated but ultimately not enough.

Truth be told Parker hasn’t particularly impressed in any of his world-title fights; he edged out Andy Ruiz to claim the vacant WBO title in a fight that saw neither styles click; against late-replacement Razvan Cojanu he looked lacklustre; and against mandatory challenger Hughie Fury he looked slow and less than 100%.

Despite this Parker has proven before that he has the talent demanded from world level boxing, in particular with his clash with Carlos Takam, and in the showdown at the Principality on the 31st he certainly enhanced his credentials as a technically supreme boxer – catching AJ with some fast, flashy shots between the 5th and 7th round of the fight, saw his reputation only heighten.

There was no shame in this defeat for the Kiwi legend but what does the future have in store?

Well, unfortunately for Duco Promotions, the pathway is distinctly less clear than if their charge had won but here are three potential options;

Dereck Chisora

Joseph Parker won’t be wanting to restart his journey back to the top of heavyweight boxing by fighting some unknown Hungarian plumber so where better to start with “gate-keeper” Dereck Chisora?

Now I use the term gate-keeper loosely because Chisora doesn’t label himself as such but, nonetheless, Chisora remains in the top 20 worldwide and is guaranteed to come to the ring all guns blazing – especially for a fight such as this would be whereby the winner is almost guaranteed another world title shot.
‘Del Boy’, with 28 wins and 8 losses, would also be a good opponent for Parker to be able to demonstrate his technical ability and enable the former Commonwealth champion to work the body of Chisora, up nice and close, something he wasn’t able to do against Anthony Joshua.

With Eddie Hearn saying he’d like to see Joseph Parker back on British shores and Dereck Chisora promoted by the Matchroom Boxing banner, this fight is certainly more than speculation and would be an incredible encounter.

Jarrell Miller

Big Baby Miller would be a far bigger risk to take for the former WBO Champion with the hotly rated American bringing nearly 300lbs of brutality into the ring; HBO’s heavyweight hopeful is ranked 3rd with all of the WBA, IBF and WBO so the fight would make sense, especially if it were to serve as an eliminator of sorts.

Miller has been a regular feature of Eddie Hearn’s ventures over into America and is next in action on the 28th April against, former Deontay Wilder opponent, Johann Duhaupas in Brooklyn. Should he come through that encounter unscathed then you sense the uber-confident American will want to take on Joseph Parker to really stamp his mark on the world scene.

Why would Parker want to take on the 20-0, 18 KO, behemoth of a fighter? Two-fold, really;

Firstly it’s an easy profile-raiser for him over in the U.S.A, having already made his name in the UK and, naturally, his home-countries of New Zealand and Samoa, the next big boxing demographic to crack is America and by beating Miller there can be no clearer attention-raiser;
And secondly, whilst Miller is a more risky opponent due to his sheer size and power, he also blows hot and cold within his fights and has never, particularly, came through entirely convincing – his size has it’s downfalls as well; he’s not particularly fast!

Let’s wait and see on this one but, heck, it would be a dust-up.

Junior Fa

This is certainly less realistic than the two previous names but in Junior Fa there is far more history and romance to the match-up, going all the way back to the amateur days when the two New Zealand fighters faced-off on four occasions.

With two wins apiece the crux of the needle came in their last fight when Fa and Parker took place in a final eliminator to decide who would be the Oceanic representative for the London 2012 Olympic Games – Fa won in a tight grudge match by 11-8 but since they turned professional the anticipation has been growing for what, must surely be, an inevitably tasty bout.

Despite the fact Fa is currently, attempting, to make his name in America with Bob Arum and Top Rank, he’s looked incredibly unimpressive in his last two fights Stateside and would, undoubtedly, jump at the chance to cash-in back on home soil should the offer come from Joseph Parker’s team….
…. WATCH THIS SPACE!

For Anthony Joshua the path is far clearer and he has the, odd, pleasure of being at the mercy of the governing bodies which makes his job – and that of Eddie Hearn – a lot easier. Nonetheless here are his three most likely opponents;

Deontay Wilder

SURPRISE! Can you even mention the two remaining heavyweight world champions independently anymore? The hype surrounding this potential fight was so extreme that Wilder seemed to be mentioned more than Parker in the build-up to their unification clash and Wilder is now the only man in the way of Joshua’s ROAD TO UNDISPUTED.

The Bronze Bomber has drawn scorn for saying he “wants a body” on his record but for all the controversy that the WBC Champ courts, there is no denying the incredible power possessed in the hands of the Alabama-fighter.

Having toppled Luis Ortiz in his last fight, despite very tight scorecards, it was Wilder’s windmill-esque power that saw his Cuban succumb in the 10th round – many, beforehand, were suggesting this was a 50-50 fight and, so it proved, with Wilder coming through his toughest test do date.

For all the talking done by the forty fight veteran, Wilder refused to show up in Cardiff for the AJ-Parker mega-fight and has turned down career high money to face Dillian Whyte in the interlude between a potential unification with Joshua; the BIGGEST potential fight but, let’s be honest, is it likely?

Alexander Povetkin

Having brutally knocked out, past-it contender, David Price in the 5th round on the undercard in Wales last week, Povetkin managed to retain his WBO and WBA Continental titles, as well as their respective, number one rankings and is likely to be called as the WBA mandatory any time soon.

The Russian has fallen foul of anti-doping rules in the past but since his return to the ring he has continued to highlight what made him, once, the most feared heavyweight in the world. To boot, and if I can say this, it’s noticeable how less “drugged-up” he looks, for want of a better phrase, so whilst suspicion will always loom there is a renewed belief that Povetkin is clean, again.

Fighting on the undercard of Anthony Joshua was a deliberate move by Eddie Hearn to introduce the 38-year-old to the British public ahead of what would be, inevitably, Povetkin’s final tilt at such prestigious titles – indeed it would be the biggest money of his career.

Povetkin packs a nifty punch and as was displayed in full glory against Price, he is capable of turning up the heat AT ANY MOMENT. Weakness were also displayed so whilst this might be AJ’s most exciting fight, you can be sure he’d be feeling mightily confident against the Russian Vityaz.

Kubrat Pulev

Pulev and, his promoters, the Sauerland Brothers will have been banging the door down of the Matchroom offices since the Bulgarian withdrew from his scheduled face-off with AJ last year – a fight that was meant to happen on the 28th October AT the Principality Stadium.

The 36 year old would continue in the same vein as Joseph Parker in seeking to test Joshua’s technical capabilities with the chin of Pulev being one that, should, withstand the pressure of AJ and Joshua may want to face Pulev in order to prove he’s not just an one-trick pony.
Having impressed against Dereck Chisora back in May 2016 to claim the European title, he’s since faced Samuel Peter and Kevin Johnson but, frankly, not made any earth-shattering statements against either man.

His rankings remain strong and The Cobra finds himself 5th the WBC, 4th with the WBA and 2nd with the IBF so there’s no questioning his credentials – unlike some who find themselves within the top 15.
Certainly all the talk before his pull-out last year was that Pulev could have been the toughest technical test of Joshua’s ability with his amateur pedigree bleeding into his professional game plan and, to all intent and purposes, replicating his success.

An eliminator between Breazeale and Pulev for a shot at the WBC Heavyweight title has been called so it looks as though his chance at taking on the pride of Britain is all but gone.

You can hope though, can’t you?

For both fighters involved in Saturday’s showdown in Cardiff, there can be no looking back on what could have been different, on what might have been, eyes must firmly be on the future because Joshua and Parker proved themselves as worthy world champions and whilst it was AJ who emerged victorious and with his undefeated record intact, Parker gained more credit over those 36 minutes than he did across all three of his previous world title fights.

For Anthony Joshua, though, the Road to Undisputed just got one step closer…

Posted on 03/31/2018

By: Ken Hissner

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Saturday was the host site for the heavyweight boxing unification title bout between WBA & IBF heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua and WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. This Eddie Hearn/Matchroom Boxing event had 80,000 fans in attendance.

WBA & IBF heavyweight champion “AJ” Anthony Joshua, 21-0 (20), of Watford Hertfordshire, UK, decisioned WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, 24-1 (18), of NZ, living in Las Vegas, NV, over 12 rounds.

Photo Credit:Matchroom Boxing/Showtime Boxing Twitter Accounts

In the first round it was over two minutes before a right hand was connected by both fighters in a round of jabs. In round two Parker continued with his left low while Joshua is the aggressor for the most part. Half a minute left before the first clinch in another round of jabs.

In the third round Joshua landed the first solid jab that landed on the chin of Parker. Parker having both hands to his side gets backed up by Joshua. Parkers punches continue to fall short to the 6:06 Joshua who is two inches taller and a longer reach. Parker lands the left hook to the head of Joshua after a clash of heads. In the fourth round Parker walked into a Joshua left hook to the head. Little to choose between the two through four rounds with little action.

In the fifth round Joshua landed a double jab to the chin of Parker. Joshua landed a left hook to the chin of Parker. Parker landed a right, then a left to the body of Joshua who was scampering away from Parker. Parker landed a good combination to the head of Joshua. In the sixth round during the first exchange the referee Giuseppe Quartarone of Italy for some unknown reason jumped in to stop the action. Joshua landed a long lead right to the head of Parker. Parker ducked under a Joshua right countered with a right uppercut to the chin of Joshua. Joshua countered a Parker miss with a right to the head of Parker.

In round seven Joshua landed a long right to the head of Parker. Once again for some unknown reason the referee stepped in. Inside Parker landed several body shots before clinching. In the eighth round Joshua’s tape is hanging from his left glove and the referee even after separating the boxers hasn’t noticed it. It was two minutes into the round when he finally tried fixing the tape himself instead of going to the corner of Joshua to fix it. Joshua landed a left hook to the head of Parker. Joshua landed a combination to the head of Parker.

In the ninth round Parker landed a double jab to the chin of Joshua. Inside Joshua landed a right uppercut to the chin of Parker. Joshua landed a lead right to the head of Parker. Parker drives Joshua into the ropes with two punches to the head of Joshua. In round ten Parker landed several punches to the body of Joshua and the referee once again steps in for some unknown reason. Parker suffered a cut outside his left eye by a Joshua’s left elbow. Parker landed two left hooks to the body of Joshua. Joshua landed a countering right uppercut.

In round eleven while inside Joshua landed a right uppercut to the chin of Parker. Joshua landed a combination to the head of Parker who countered with a right to the chin of Joshua. In the twelfth and final round Joshua’s right was blocked but left landed to the body of Parker. Joshua landed a right to the head of Parker. Joshua landed a jab and shortly afterwards a right uppercut with the referee Quartarone for some unknown reason jumped between the fighters.

Judge Steve Gray of the UK 118-110, Judge Ian Scott of NZ 119-109 and judge Steve Weisfeld of the US 118-110. This writer had it 114-114 in the dullest heavyweight title fight in this writer’s memory and I’m 74 on Monday. May of 1953 at the age of 9 I watched Rocky Marciano knock out “Jersey” Joe Walcott some 65 years ago but never saw anything so dull. I’ve seen better sparring sessions in any Philadelphia ring. I gave Joshua rounds 1, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 12. Parker rounds 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9. Even Parker thought he lost. His objective was to “go the distance stopping Joshua’s 20 straight knockout streak!”

“I am the unified champion with three titles in a fight of boxing not the slugfest that Parker wanted. I want Wilder next,” said Joshua. “I will have to work harder in the future,” said Parker.

Former WBA World Heavyweight champion Alexander “Russian Vityaz” Povetkin, 34-1 (24), of Chekhov, Russia, knocked out 2008 Olympian David Price, 22-5 (18), of Liverpool, Merseyside, UK, in the fifth round for the WBA Inter-Continental & WBO International titles.

WBA Super World Bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett, 19-0 (9), of Belfast, Northern, Ireland, won a lopsided decision over Yonfrez “El Verdugo” Parejo, 21-3-1 (10), of Anzoategui, VZ, over 12 rounds.

Scores were 120-108 twice and 116-112. Terry O’Connor was the referee.

Former WBA World Lightweight champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla, 33-6-3 (13), of Manchester, UK, defeated Edson “Buba” Ramirez, 18-3-1 (8), of Mexico City, MEX, over 10 rounds by scores of 100-91, 100-90 & 98-92.

Unbeaten Welterweight Josh “Pretty Boy” Kelly, 6-0 (4), of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK, defeated former IBF World Super Lightweight Mexican Carlos Molina, 28-9-2 (8), of Chicago, IL, over 10 rounds for the WBA International title by scores of 98-92 twice and 98-91.

2016 Light Heavyweight Olympic Bronze Medalist Joshua Buatsi, 5-0 (3), of Accra, GH, now out of Croydon, London, UK, defeated Bartolmiej Grafka, 20-29-3 (9), of Katowice, Poland, over 6 rounds.

Lightweight 2016 Olympian Joe Cordina, 7-0 (6), of Cardiff, Wales, stopped Hakim Ben Ali, 19-6 (1), of West-Vlaanderum, Belgium, in 3 rounds for the vacant WBA International title.

Posted on 03/29/2018

By: Niki Ross

The latest instalment of the faux heavyweight renaissance is almost upon us. The Anthony Joshua franchise will roll out again next weekend to face off against the unbeaten Joseph Parker and with this fight we should move closer to a unification fight between Joshua and Wilder.

The fight against Joseph Parker feels very much like an interlude. To the casual fan this is an easy fight to sell as a legitimate challenge to Joshuas developing reign of supremacy. The media are onboard the AJ gravy-train, Eddie Hearn has secured the right deals, put him with the right endorsements and now Anthony Joshua is being pushed down our throats as a beacon of light for the sport. But things aren’t quite as they seem.

Boxing has been crying out for a heavyweight that everyone can hang their hopes on. Someone to bring back the good old days, the blood and glory days when the heavyweights were all that mattered. Times have changed, boxing is thriving and commercial appeal is not enough to be mentioned in a pound for pound conversation.

For all the hype, the heavyweight division is still nowhere near as exciting as the lower divisions. From featherweight up to middleweight there are some certified killers, and following on from the great 2017, we are seeing them looking for the career defining fights rather than the financially defining fights.

Joseph Parker, despite his unblemished record, is a limited fighter. Noticeably faster than the other current heavyweights, a little lighter on his feet, he is still exceptionally raw. He struggled with an aged Carlos Takam, he had it tough against the rusty Hughie Fury, he will probably come unstuck against Anthony Joshua.

Parker seems like he has failed to really develop as he’s gotten older. His punches are wild, he rushes in with reckless abandon and his defence is basic. If he was the least bit chinny, Parkers resume could look very different indeed.

On Sky Sports The Gloves Are Off both fighters came face to face. Joseph Parker did not look comfortable. He gave off the impression he was already psychologically beaten, simply happy to pick up his biggest payday. Even a little bit of an AJ admirer himself.

Maybe its the crushing weight of support Joshua has garnered, maybe its an understanding of his own limitations. Maybe I’m reading the situation all wrong. We will know for sure come the 31st of March, however Joseph Parker seems like a man accepting of his role as the supporting actor rather than a warrior coming to collect the scalp of a man standing in his road to greatness.

There aren’t many big fights left for Joshua at this stage. A fight with Wilder and then possibly a domestic dust up with the enigmatic Tyson Fury. But after that, theres nothing else that captures the imagination of the public at this point.

And these fighters, despite having public following, are nowhere near as fundamentally skilled as the men in the divisions which thrive below them. Tyson Fury may never even be the same fighter again, shifting such a mass of weight time and time again is not a sustainable expectation of the body and at some point he will have to pay the piper.

The heavyweight division is going to come to a crescendo sometime in the next couple of years and when its all said and done Anthony Joshua could be sitting in the throne for some time to come. He’s a good boxer, but a feeling deep inside gives the impression that he may not be able to cope when the time comes that a hungry young lion, with a dynamic boxing IQ comes knocking on the door.

Today its Joseph Parker, tomorrow it’ll be Deontay Wilder. And after that, the unknown quantities that lie in wait, the men who spot the flaws and are hungry beyond financial impetus, will be the ones who really rock the heavyweight division. Boxing is in a great place, the amount of talent on display week after week is refreshing. The cream always rises to the top and by the time this interludes are over, the landscape of the heavyweight division should look rather different.

In the meantime, bank on a Joshua late round stoppage. Nobody expects Parker to win, but Joshua doesn’t just need to win this fight, he needs to win this fight convincingly.