Parker’s reaction: Was I too cautious?

Joseph Parker admitted he could have done more in a desperate final round as he lost his world title to Anthony Joshua.

A brave Parker took Joshua the distance for the first time in the big Brit’s career but lost a unanimous points decision by a wide margin – 118-110, 118-110, 119-109.

The writing was on the wall for Parker over the championship rounds in Cardiff yesterday but he couldn’t penetrate the armour of the classy Joshua.

He needed a knockout in the 12th and final round but it played out much like most of the fight, with Parker struggling to get on the front foot enough to pressurise Joshua into presenting an opening.

Parker said there were no stamina issues.

‘‘I felt fit but maybe (I was) too cautious,’’ the 26-year-old said.

‘‘I was just trying to fight smart, maybe I was too cautious.’’

A disappointed Parker was his harshest critic.

He conceded he hadn’t fired enough double-jabs to bring some hesitancy to Joshua, who commanded the middle of the ring for most of the fight and collected points with it.

‘‘It’s learning. I could have done more, I didn’t really throw all the punches that I could. I guess it’s learning and coming back stronger.’’

Parker felt his movement was good and his body shots to Joshua were effective but he was unable to set up enough power shots to have a chance of toppling his larger opponent.

Forced to try to go to the inside, Parker wasn’t helped by a referee who frequently broke up the closerange exchanges to frustrate the Kiwi camp which was happy to get in a slug-fest in the tight situations if necessary.

Parker said that Joshua hadn’t hurt him and suggested the cut over his left eye was from a Joshua elbow.

While Parker showed good snap in his jabs and punches in general, his trainer Kevin Barry lamented more wasn’t done to maximise his fighter’s hand speed.

‘‘I think Joe hit the nail on the head when we had the training camp to work on the double jab. The double jab is very important, not only for an offensive weapon but for a defensive tool and Joe sort of drifted away from that a little bit,’’ Barry said.

They had strategised to be in the fight by the middle stages and try to surge home over the back half against an opponent they felt would weaken. To his credit, Joshua anticipated that, dropping weight and increasing his endurance.

‘‘I thought after six rounds it was out fight to win. Joshua had a really good first four rounds, he was moving well. Five, not so much, Joe touched him a few times in the fifth and the sixth.’’

‘‘I was just trying to fight smart, maybe I was too cautious.’’ Joseph Parker