Buoyant Parker eyes rematch
Joseph Parker has climbed off the canvas after two big Zhilei Zhang bangs to continue his remarkable career revival. And he’s ready to do it all again.
Despite being dropped by the giant Chinese southpaw in round three from a sharp short left and again being toppled by a right hand clip on the top of the head in the eighth, Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) has prevailed by a majority decision after 12 rounds in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to claim Zhang’s WBO interim belt.
“It was a tough challenge, I got caught with a few shots but was able to keep focussed on the plan which was to box and move,” Parker said at his post-fight press conference.
To protect his position as the mandatory
Anthony Joshua on Joseph Parker
challenger for WBO world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s belt, Zhang’s team insisted on a one-way rematch clause that means Parker will need to beat him twice to claim that spot.
Parker’s victory will count for little if the rematch does go ahead and Zhang wins it, but at 32, against Zhang’s 40 year’s of age, Parker will be hugely confident given his performance and victory, with the Kiwi saying he’s ready to beat the 1.98m tall southpaw again.
But that aside, the majority decision victory - scored 113-113, 114-112 and 115-111 by the three judges - was a critical win in the career of the former WBO champion.
If Parker’s last victory, a shock upset over Deontay Wilder at the same Saudi venue in December was the biggest of his career, then the win over Zhang probably rivals his WBO world title victory over Andy Ruiz Jr as his second most significant.
Following a knockout loss to Joe Joyce in 2022 and three routine wins over mediocre opponents in 2023, it seemed Parker’s career was winding down to a slow and sad end but with the Wilder and now Zhang wins, he’s right behind the big guns in the division once more.
After his brutal demolition of Francis Ngannou in the main event, former world champion Anthony Joshua, who has himself been written off after three losses, praised Parker for turning his career around.
“I’ve got to say Joseph Parker is one of my favourite fighters,” Joshua said. “He had it tough but he’s been relentless and kept on pushing, and look at him now.”
Somewhat remarkably, Parker has revealed that his thoughts when he was knocked down were to get up to ensure he didn’t appear in promotional clips if he lost the fight.
“You know, those ones that they do when you get knocked down,” he said. “I was thinking they were going to keep showing that every time Zhang fights.
“But then I though to myself, it’s just a knockdown and you don’t prepare for it but that’s when you have to show true heart,” Parker said.
“He had it tough but he’s been relentless and kept on pushing, and look at him now.”