Kiwi told to stop fighting ‘corpses’

Joseph Parker should now meet some of the world’s better heavyweights rather than ‘‘corpses’’, according to an international boxing website.

Matt McGrain, writing for www.thesweetscience.com, said Parker had become the first New Zealand-born heavyweight world champion and said it was a ‘‘dream come true ... for all that the intrinsic worth of the WBO’s trinket can be called into question’’.

‘‘For all that, it must be pointed out there are clearly better regarded heavies in the world than Joseph Parker,’’ said McGrain. ’’That said, Parker can change that by living up to the dream he has fulfilled. He can do this by meeting some of the world’s better heavies rather than the corpses the WBO has a habit of picking.

‘‘Parker has made himself one of heavyweight boxing’s leading characters with this victory. Now we’ll find out if he has character.’’

McGrain pulled no punches, describing Parker’s fight with Andy Ruiz as ‘‘an absorbing if not electrifying contest’’ as ‘‘both men seemed guilty of unnecessary caution at times’’ during the ‘‘occasionally turgid ring-action’’.

‘‘Parker’s claim that he could ‘beat any heavyweight in the world’’ has been called into question by this performance, but if ever a match was all about getting the win, it was this one,’’ said McGrain, who claimed the contest should have been a draw.

Here’s a look at what other people are saying about the fight around the globe:

Boxing Scene’s Keith Idec wrote that Parker wasn’t spectacular, but did enough to secure his historic win in a piece that was one of the website’s top headlines.

‘‘Parker boxed well at times. The emerging star often was reluctant, though, to trade with a consistently aggressive Ruiz, whose movement and skill defy the 6-2, 256-pound contender’s body type,’’ Idec wrote on the popular website.

BLH’s Scott Christ deemed the judges’ calls on the fight fair and reasonable.

‘‘Ruiz is going to be kicking himself, most likely, for not doing a bit more in the middle rounds, especially, after a solid start where he won at least two of the first three rounds,’’ Christ wrote.

Parker ended up taking control in the later rounds, he continued in his story on the well-known boxing site, with a bit of back-andforth making things tight - but ultimately leaning in Parker’s direction, slightly.

Fight News’ David Finger reported on the fight from ringside for this website, on how at first it looked like Ruiz had the bout in the bag, building up his score and generally dominating.

‘‘Then he inexplicably stopped throwing punches and began to look for the one big shot that would end the fight,’’ Finger continued.

That opened the door for Parker to come back, which Finger says he did well enough to get the judges to lean in his favour.

The BBC focussed on how close the match was, with Parker only narrowly edging out Ruiz.

‘‘Ruiz was unhappy, saying: ‘I think I got the win or at least a draw, I think I set the pace with my jab’,’’ the small article stated on the BBC website.

The Daily Telegraph in Australia wrote at length about Parker’s struggle to earn a convincing win in the title fight, with Ruiz’s defence proving particularly problematic for the Kiwiborn champ. The report detailed how everything came down to the mercy of the judges, who ultimately sided with Parker.