5 Most Memorable Joseph Parker Fights
On Saturday, December 23, Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) will take on a confident Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) as part of the “Day of Reckoning.” Parker arrived with the other fighters for the grand arrivals event on December 19. The South Auckland-born fighter was full of confidence at the press conference:
“I’m here and I’m ready,” said former heavyweight champion Parker. “I’ve had a great camp. We’re going into this fight [with] a good gameplan, great strategy. Respect to Wilder but I’m here to do a job and I’m here to win.” In preparation for fight night, we wanted to bring you five memorable Joseph Parker fights.
5 Memorable Joseph Parker Fights
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Joseph Parker vs. Dillian Whyte
On July 28, 2018, Joseph Parker took on Dillian Whyte at the 02 Arena in London. Both fighters had success during the bout, especially in the middle rounds. Whyte showcased his power, knocking down Parker in rounds two and nine. However, the first knockdown was a controversial clash of heads, which referee Ian John Lewis ruled as a knockdown.
Parker fought well off the back foot, using his movement and landing smart combinations. The British fighter began to tire after round 6 and looked to make it a rough fight, with Parker continuing to land the better shots. Parker took over in the later rounds and knocked down Whyte with 20 seconds remaining in the final round, with the Brit ultimately hanging on for the final bell.
Whyte got the decision on the judges scorecards, 113–112, 115–110, and 114–111. If the first knockdown had been ruled correctly as a clash of heads, the fight would have been a split draw. Regardless, Parker showed how effective he was fighting off the back foot, and he more than showcased his desire by recovering brilliantly from two knockdowns.
Joseph Parker vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.
Parker against Andy Ruiz was a coming-of-age fight for the New Zealand-born boxer. It was an opportunity – for them to fight for the vacant WBO strap – after Tyson Fury was stripped of the belt.
Parker boxed diligently throughout the fight and survived – the expected early onslaught from Ruiz – and subsequently used his ring IQ to take over the contest from the middle rounds onwards, where he landed the better punches. This was another fight where Parker showed he had the mental toughness to get through challenging fights as the judge’s scorecards read 115–113 x2 in favour of Parker as the third judge scored it a 114–114 draw.
Derek Chisora II
On December 18, 2021, Parker and Derek Chisora faced off in a rematch of their first fight, which the South Auckland fighter won via split decision. The rematch saw a dominant performance by Parker as he knocked his British opponent down three times on the way to a unanimous points decision victory.
Parker was first to the punch throughout and controlled the distance brilliantly, engaging at the right time and boxing off the back foot, frustrating Parker when needed. The judges scorecards read 115–110, 115–111, and 114–112, all in Parker’s favour. The scorecards did not reflect the dominance shown by Parker, who proved he was on a different level from his opponent.
Francois Botha
A young Parker faced off against the vastly experienced Francois Botha at 5-0. The South African boxer was the former IBF champion and was determined to show his experience.
Parker was clinical and soon into the second round, caught Botha with a big right hand, which rocked him. He followed up this shot with hurtful, accurate combinations, which left his opponent unable to continue. This was a vital step in Parker’s career – as he proved he could mix it at a higher level.
Alexander Dimintrenko
In 2016, Parker faced off against Alexander Dimitrenko in Auckland, New Zealand. The Yevpatoria-born fighter bought a height and experience advantage against Parker. Dimitrenko came into the fight with a record of 38-2 and stood at 2.01m tall.
Despite the size and experience advantage over Parker, the South Auckland-born fight dealt with him in impressive fashion. A brutal body shot caused Dimitrenko to wilt, giving the Samoan-Kiwi a KO victory in round three. Parker had already shown his power in rounds one and two, knocking his opponent down, with impressive speed and accuracy.
Take a trip with us down memory lane to when Joe Joyce defeated Joseph Parker.
