‘I’ve got my own piece of history’ - Parker

Mickey Parker's blockbuster British cruiserweight summer showdown with Dave Thomas has been chosen as the BKB fight of the year for 2021.

The Leigh Park bareknuckle boxer's bruising knockout title win was selected as the pick of the bouts within the sport by 'Toe The Line' BKB blog panel duo of George Glinski and Paolo Lucci at their streamed annual awards show.

What's more, Glinski claimed the bruising showdown stands in the 'top-three all-time' BKB fights after Parker sensationally continued with a broken ankle and recovered from a first-ever knockdown in the sport to knockout Thomas, who also broke his ankle on his way to the ground following a ferocious round three knockout.

The victory saw Parker, 39, achieve a lifelong ambition of becoming a British champion after collecting the vacant cruiserweight crown at the 02 Indigo in August.

He is now preparing for one last hurrah with a shot at world cruiserweight champion, Bournemouth-based Carl Hobley, in April.

Parker, pictured, said: ‘I’m the first one to say it takes two to tango, it’s not just me, it’s him (Dave Thomas) as well.

‘The really nice thing is in their interview (‘Toe The Line’ BKB 2021 awards) they put it up there as the top three of all-time (BKB fights).

‘It was lovely news to hear. It was a little bit of recognition, that fight is never going to go away.

‘Every day on BKB they stream different fights, but I know that one will be around forever, people will still talk about it for ever.

‘I’ve got my own little bit of history now.

‘I like being involved in wars. I said in the interview after (British cruiserweight title win), if you’re fighting at that standard you should be getting hit, you’re not walking through people at that standard.

‘It’s why we’re in there, we want to be in these situations, it’s why I love it.’

When analysing why he had selected the Parker v Thomas BKB bout as his best of the year, Glinski revealed: ‘It was the most emphatic moment in the history of the sport - I cannot think of anything like it.

‘It was polarising, an incredible, incredible fight.

‘For me, it’s in the top three greatest fights of all-time.’