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FRISCO, Texas – Joseph Parker and his trainer acknowledged beforehand that they knew next to nothing about Shawndell Winters.
They learned Saturday night that the comparatively unknown Winters is extremely tough. Winters took some very heavy shots from the former WBO heavyweight champion and landed plenty of his own before Parker knocked him out in the fifth round on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas undercard.
New Zealand’s Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) knocked down Winters twice, once in the third round and again in the fifth, before referee Rosario Solis stopped their scheduled 10-rounder at Ford Center at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ training center. Winters (13-3, 12 KOs), of Harvey, Illinois, lost by knockout for the second time as a pro.
Parker blasted Winters with a right hand that hurt him late in the fifth round. The 6-feet-4, 245¼-pound Parker followed up with a right-left-right combination that sent the 6-feet-2, 208-pound Winters crashing to the canvas, underneath a bottom rope.
A staggered Winters was able to reach his feet, but he stumbled backward, into a neutral corner. That’s when Solis stopped their entertaining encounter.
Before stopping Winters, Parker hadn’t fought in the eight months since he stopped Australia’s Alex Leapai in the 10th round of their June 29 bout in Providence, Rhode Island. Parker was supposed to battle British contender Dereck Chisora on October 26 in London, but Parker suffered a spider bit during training camp and had to withdraw from that bout.
Before finishing off Winters, Parker drilled him with a right hand at about 1:15 of the fifth round.
Winters and Parker traded hard shots near Winters’ corner in the fourth round, when Parker also suffered a cut over his right eye after Winters landed a left hook. Winters also unloaded a tremendous right hand that landed flush on Parker’s chin just before the fourth round ended.
Parker got great extension on a right hand that sent Winters to the canvas with 13 seconds to go in the third round. Winters was hurt, but he reached his feet pretty quickly and made it to the end of the third round.
Parker’s right hand nailed Winters to the side of his head with 15 seconds to go in the second round. Winters took that shot well.
Parker and Winters traded hard shots near Winters’ corner late in the first round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.