Joseph Parker ignited his hopes of getting a shot at a second world title with an impressive win over Derek Chisora in Manchester.
Chisora justifiably questioned the result of Parker’s split points win in their first fight in May, but he could have no complaints about the sequel at the same venue as the former WBO champion as Parker claimed a deserved unanimous points win on Sunday (NZT).
The judges scored the fight 115-110, 115-111, 114-112 in cards that flattered Chisora.
Leading voices in the boxing world were perplexed by the 114-112 scorecard in particular, with most saying Parker’s dominance was undeniable, although both men were rocked during the fight.
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Parker admitted he needed a statement performance to push his cause in a heated heavyweight division. He couldn’t get the knockout he desired, but he forced three standing counts on Chisora, whose resilience was remarkable.
Weighing in at a career-high 114kg, Parker produced increased power and had plenty of precision to go with it.
His accuracy was telling, and he had gone so far ahead of Chisora after eight rounds (the counts came in rounds four, seven and eight), that he had to be careful of losing to a big shot from the rugged Brit.
Parker’s increased time with his new coach Andy Lee showed. He was slick with his hands and his footwork, while his defensive head movement was outstanding.
He cleverly mixed up his combinations, findinggreat success with his uppercuts and hooks, and was able to work tirelessly off his noted jab.
Parker’s accuracy was impressive and, with an increased armoury, he had Chisora wondering where the next attack was coming from.
Parker carried the extra weight well over the back half of the fight and needed it at times too, because Chisora kept coming back when it seemed he was ready to fall for good.
Chisora took the fight in close when he good and dealt out some heavy body punishment to Parker.
Where Parker goes from here will be fascinating as he looks to manoeuvre closer to a world title shot.
Parker’s stocks will have risen through this effort where he looked good from the opening bell and was busy throughout. Guilty of building slowly into fights, he took control of this from the outset.
With current champions, Tyson Fury(WBC) and Oleksandra Usyk (WBO, IBF, WBA) trying to tie down deals, Parker, 29, will look to stay busy with a fight that helps his rankings cause.
Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic in an IBF eliminator is an option, while Britain’s Joe Joyce also appears a contender for the Aucklander who will stay in Britain until February at least, hoping to secure his next fight quickly and get busy in 2022.
He certainly signed off a tricky 2021 in style, with his third fight of the year his most impressive.
Parker’s record is now 30-2, and he is on a six-fight winning streak since suffering back-to-back losses in the UK in 2018.
Chisora drops to 32-12 with his third loss in a row that will place question marks over the future of the 37-year-old.
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