Parker: Maybe I was too cautious
Joseph Parker admitted he could have done more in a desperate final round as he lost his world boxing title to Anthony Joshua yesterday.
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 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 pressure 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 as he analysed the loss that saw the WBO belt added to Joshua’s growing collection.
‘‘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 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 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.
Parker said that Joshua hadn’t hurt him and suggested a 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.
‘‘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 our 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.’’
Barry and Parker were surprised at the margins on the judges’ cards with the trainer believing some of Parker’s body shots had been overlooked.
But Parker was thrilled with the experience of fighting a world title fight in front of a huge crowd.
‘‘Fighting in front of all those people was a great experience.
‘‘We will be back again,’’ he said. ‘‘If we fought again, I would work harder, be stronger and throw more punches.’’
Joshua felt he had cleverly out manouvered Parker and proven his worth as a 12-round fighter after doubts had been expressed about that.
He ranked Parker as only his third-toughest opponent, behind Wladimir Klitschko and Carlos Takam.
He also felt he had dispelled any doubts about his speed and movement.
He said he was meant to be fighting the man with the fastest hands in the division ‘‘but I beat him to the punch every time’’.
‘‘I think just on this evening, I was more focused, more disciplined and carried on attacking. I was the better man.’’