Joseph Parker: record, next fight and profile →
By Keith Idec - Anthony Joshua went the distance for the first time in his career Saturday night. The unbeaten British superstar still separated himself by plenty from Joseph Parker in the eyes of the three judges at a sold-out Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Joshua beat Parker by unanimous decision in their 1...
Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker Scorecard BoxingScene Live - The Heavyweight unification blockbuster clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker will be broadcast in an incredible 215 territories from Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday night. (photos by Lawrence Lustig, Mark Robinson).
IBF World, WBA Super World and IBO heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) faces WBO counterpart Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 early) at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium later tonight live on Sky Sports PPV in a fight that could lead to a showdown with WBC holder Deontay Wilder, who has expressed an interest in meeting the winner to unify the division’s mayor titles.
IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (last 6 fights) outlanded opponents better than 2-1 in total punches, jabs & power shots. Joshua landed 39% of his power shots and 6 jabs per round, while opponents landed just 25.3% of their power punches (3.8 per round more than half the heavyweight average).
On Saturday, we get one step closer to one. In an ideal world, each of boxing’s seventeen weight divisions would have only one world champion. Too often, most weight classes have so many making the claim that they ultimately have none. There is only one world after all. How do we know if the WBC titlist at 105 lbs. right now, Wanheng Menayothin, could beat WBA titlist Knockout CP Freshmart if they haven’t fought? We don’t and likely won’t find out.
Joseph Parker could tell just by looking at Anthony Joshua on Friday that he has taken training very seriously for their heavyweight title unification fight. The 6-feet-6, 242¼-pound Joshua came in approximately 12 pounds lighter at their weigh-in Friday than he did for his last fight, a 10th-round stoppage of Carlos Takam on October 28. The 6-feet-4 Parker also was 8½ pounds less than he weighed for his previous bout, a majority-decision defeat of Hughie Fury on September 23.
Bob Arum, who's company Top Rank co-promotes WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) likes his chances as he goes up against IBF, IBO, WBA belt-holder Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales later today.
It would hurt his bottom line, but Deontay Wilder wants Joseph Parker to beat Anthony Joshua. Wilder figures that if Parker upsets Joshua in their heavyweight title unification fight Saturday night, the unbeaten WBC champion will have a better chance to secure his shot at owning each of boxing’s recognized championships. Wilder would love to fight Joshua for heavyweight supremacy, but he doesn’t think Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) will accept that fight in the foreseeable future if Joshua gets past Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) in Cardiff, Wales (Sky Sports Box Office; Showtime).
Former world champion and Sky Sports broadcaster Carl Froch believes WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder made a big mistake by refusing to fly over to Cardiff, to sit ringside for tonight's WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO unification between world champions Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker at Principality Stadium.
Both fighters showed respect for each other, WBA, IBO and IBF titleholder Joshua tipped the scales at 242 pounds (110kg) - 12 pounds lighter than for his most recent fight against Carlos Takam in October. Parker, the WBO champion, weighed 236 pounds, nine pounds lighter than his last fight against Hughie Fury in September.