Former world champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) dethroned WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) by twelve round majority decision. Zhang dropped Parker in round three and eight, but Parker ultimately outboxed and outworked an exhausted Zhang in a tactical fight. Scores were 113-113, 114-112, 115-111. After the fight, Parker revealed that Zhang has a rematch clause so it looks like they’ll be running this back.
If Zhang had just a bit of stamina…but if “if” was a spliff I’d role it up anf smoke it.
Zhang is my guy but he has zero stamina. I thought he was conserving himself for the last round in which he landed zero punches. There is a rematch so we’ll see if he makes adjustments. Congrats to Parker.
The fight was close enough that he might do better, but Zhang is a true KO artist. And Parker, despite having some flaws, is one tough SOB. I’d imagine it’s worse for Zhang the next time around.
Good win for Joseph, he was consistent and in shape.
Zhang kept relying on his power and very economical
The sharp Zhang of the Joyce fights was nowhere to be seen. Such a low punch output that Parker has to just work a bit harder to win many rounds. I was expecting a lot more from this fight and Parker racks up another victory.
Zhang was sharper against Joyce because Joyce presents very little head movement and a porous defense. Parker kept moving and his constant feints befuddled Zhang.
omg…it was no where to be seen because he wasnt facing a static target. Im an ex boxer and when there is no target you dont throw…Joyce was painfully slow and no head movement..remember your only as good as your opponent is bad
“Styles make fights” and Zhilei Zhang’s plodding was wrongly, met by Joe Joyce in their fights, but Joe Parker altered his all-action style for Deontay Wilder to meet fighting Zhang who moves at glacier-like speed.
And watch a very ill Zhang vs Hrgovic on youtube.
Hrgovic lost but got the BS decision.
I agree. I was singing Zhang’s praises thinking he would dial in his strengths at age 40. He was not as sharp for sure. That or Joyce just made Zhang look sharp. Glad I did not bet on either fight. They both did not go as expected. The better men won.
PS . Where was this Joshua vs Usyk? Just goes to show that if Joshua has not taken immediate rematch with Usyk he would have preserves his opportunity for a better moment
Joshua just got another shonky free pass from Eddie Hearn – like for “Day of Reckoning” where his original opponent Deontay Wilder was swapped for Joe Parker’s opponent easybeat Otto Wallin.
Joshua will start thinking that he really IS back, after Hearn’s lavish praise and the dutiful Brit-media’s too…after kayoing a boxer in his second-ever fight with no defence save for his immobile unguarded head.
Was it fair or is it a robbery ?! I didn’t watched the fight..
A very fair decision. Besides the two knockdowns Zhang showed very little throughout the fight. I had it 115-111 and find it pretty hard to see how one judge had it a draw.
I had it 114-112, all of the scorecards seemed pretty in line with what I saw. After the sketchy decision in the prior fight, I was glad to see they got it right with this one. Flat out, Parker just outworked him. Both guys were tough as nails, but Parker- despite being dropped- was doing a lot more work.
Ngannu goes down! Rd1
Too easy!!!! Now I know Fury didn’t take Ngannu easy!!!
boring fight parker just threw more punches
Threw and landed more. That’s how you win a boxing match.
Throwing more punches than an opponent is often quite a wise and winning tactic?
Not a robbery but pissed at Zhang for not pulling the trigger because he has Parker pretty rocked and hurt in numerous times during the fight and didn’t capitalize on it !
Joe Parker evaded Deontay Wilder’s attempted kayo efforts too.
You wrote: “…Parker pretty rocked and hurt in numerous times…”
Did you watch both fights? Parker was in control of them both.
Congratulations Joe!
I felt Parker had a good chance of winning. Just because he got stopped by Joyce, and Xhang knocked out Joyce twice, is not indicative of what result would come. I thight if Zhang would win it woud be by ko, and Parker by decison. Uniike Barry Mcquigan, I thought that Zhang won the forth, and I did up to that time give Parker the first, unlike Barry. This is thereason I think for the dreaw on one of the score cards.
Zhang looked terribly out of shape, and at nearly 300 pounds, he needs to lose at least 20 pounds. Where was also the sense of urgency in his corner, reminds me of the criticism that Wilder’s corner got.
I don’t think Zhang was out of shape, he’s just old.
When did he get old? I think him carrying more weight is just a bad idea. His weight is constantley going up. And when you have a pretty quick guy like Parker in front of you 20 pounds make a lot of difference. 20 pounds which dont help in any way.
My guess is more that Zhang got cocky a little bit, thinking he can just knock out everyone, instead of optimizing his fighting shape.
I’d agree that he probably could’ve used more fitness. But Zhang has never been a swift fighter. Losing weight doesn’t necessarily make you much faster, but it would’ve likely improved his endurance and helped with punch output. Still, the guy is in his 40s and probably isn’t going to improve much.
Quite frankly, I thought Barry McGuigan made some pretty dubious comments.
Too bad. Zhang had been leading up to a megafight in Beijing. Maybe he’ll win the rematch and it might still happen.
40 years old and 300 lbs is not a good recipe for a top notch heavyweight boxer.
“B-i-ii-i-g George Foreman” was 45 when he regained the championship!
Well if Parker whould have the chin of Michael Moorer, Zhang for sure would have won yesterday. Zhang is too heavy now. He should have stayed at around 270/275
Maybe father time catching up on Zhang.
Parker keeps building his resumé Not the biggest puncher, but he’ll fight anybody. Congrats Joe
Big Bang vs Deontay Wilder should be next. That is now a 50/50 fight. If Wilder comes in shape, and Big Bang shows no cardio, this will be the reincarnation of Foreman vs Lyle, with Wilder winning his 1st big fight.
Parker will defeat Joe Joyce in the rematch. Parker will box circles around Joyce, and stop him late. Parker will then beat Whyte in a rematch, setting up AJ vs Parker as a marquee boxing event.
zhang does Not show up in world class athlete condition. heavy and out of shape. what gives?
True, maybe he is saftisfied with the money made. You sure care more about your shape if you have some big plans!
Chris
omyyyy……
he lost because his conditioning was poor. and he came in tooo heavy.
grow up
Parker is in the middle of an interesting journey. Wilder first and now Zhang. Wow.
I thought Zhang would take the first few rounds like he also did, but at the same time, did Zhang subconsciously get a little comfortable and overconfident with the first knockdown? Or is it all about stamina?
Parker ran the entire race, all the way to the finish line, it was wise, because that’s where a fight ends.
Foreign Spy, there are exceptions to every rule. We’ve all been with a fat girl, at least once.
Not me!
Lol, I’m honestly not guilty, but…have you got any photos?
so a rematch? then zhang needs to knock him down 3 times
I think Zhang will KO him in the rematch
Joseph Parker showed all the top heavies how to beat the feared Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, and now he has shown them how to beat the feared Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang!
Joe Parker chases the monsters away!
If Zhang’s manager cares about his man, he should try to alter the rematch to be perhaps against Cary Grant?
Parker can take a good punch, so much credit to Zhang for those legit knockdowns. Zhang seems to have George Foreman like power, but didn’t have the work rate needed to win.
I think for Zhang it’s his age and as others mentioned stamina (partially due to age)
5 years ago he possibly could have gone a bit farther. I think being a solid contender is his ceiling but the HW scene has proven decent the last few years so he’s done well.
Parker has impressed me with his consistency and drive lately. He has grown into being a better all around fighter, much better than his young days as a brief champion.
Hopefully Zhang comes in lighter in the rematch and just fight like how he did vs Hrgović and he should be able to beat Parker. His gut was moving even without Parker hitting it.
Zhang is overrated. Sure, he has heavy hands. Thats about it
Parker was on the floor 2 times against Whyte, knocked out by Joyce, and been on the floor 2 times last friday, yet no one say he is chinny. Joshua was stopped once on his feet after 3 knockdowns, had 1 knockdown against Klit. Took big punches from Whyte and Povetkin without going down, he is called chinny by the haters while Parker and Fury (who has been on the floor 7 times) are not chinny.
I think he was dropped once against Whyte fight.
No it was twice, but one of the knockdowns was from an open headbutt seen by everyone but the ref. It left Joe concussed but the ref kept counting.
Joe had Whyte out on his feet in the last seconds of the last round which had the Brit comms almost crying.