Anthony Joshua defeats Joseph Parker in disappointing fashion
On Saturday, March 31, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker met in a massive heavyweight championship bout. Both boxers went into the bout undefeated but Parker left with a loss.
Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales was teeming with energy before Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker made their way to the ring. An estimated 80 thousand fans united in singing “Sweet Caroline” as it played throughout the stadium.
Parker made his way to the ring first. He was led by two of his New Zealand countrymen who were adorned with leis and traditional Máori attire.
Joshua came to the ring second. Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” played first in a medley. His walk took several minutes as pyrotechnics went off to help in his sensational entrance. The crowd met the opening bell with a roar of cheers. Unfortunately, it would be the only time they would have anything to cheer about.
In round one, Joshua took the center of the ring. Parker rotated around him looking for an opening but none came. Lots of jabs were thrown by both men, but nothing significant landed. Joshua won the round because of controlled ring generalship.
Joshua pressed Parker more in the second. He backed Parker up but couldn’t pin him on the ropes. Parker tried to land some punches but most missed. Joshua won the round with aggression and solid body punches.
Joshua established his jab in the third. It landed frequently and cleanly. His pace picked up, and he landed several rights on Parker. Parker looked frustrated and intimidated.
Joshua landed a nice left hook early in the fourth. Parker punched from the outside but missed most of his shots. Joshua’s reach was a major obstacle for Parker to navigate.
In the fifth, Joshua continued to land his left hook early. It looked like his lefts were starting to take their toll on Parker. With less than a minute remaining, Parker landed his best punch—a straight right to Joshua’s head. Joshua took it well, but that one punch may have won the round for Parker. It was a close round.
Things exploded in round six. Joshua and Parker engaged in a flurry, and both landed meaningful punches. Parker landed several shots on Joshua’s head. His punches were starting to find a home. Parker really woke up in this round and looked like he belonged in the elite class of heavyweight boxers.
Things quieted down in the seventh. Neither fighter landed much, but Josua probably won the round because he was more active than Parker. His work rate wasn’t stellar, but it was better than Parker’s.
The eighth was putrid. There was a lot of posing but very few punches thrown and even less landed. This round could have gone either way, but both men looked frustrated.
The ninth wasn’t much better than the eighth. Joshua and Parker were separated by space and neither of them could figure out how to close the distance and land a significant punch. Parker had the edge because he pressed the action more than Joshua.
Joshua significantly picked up his work rate in the 10th. He landed a flurry early that cut Parker over his left eye. This was Joshua’s best round in some time. He did some damage to Parker’s eye. On a replay after the round, it appeared as if Joshua’s elbow opened up the cut over Parker’s left eye.
The 11th was another disappointing round. Once again, neither boxer seemed eager to throw punches. It was a boring round. There was no urgency from Joshua or Parker. This round summarized the fight up to this point. It was inactive and stale.
Round 12 continued the let down of expectations that encapsulated this fight. Nothing significant occurred and nobody was able to find any offense. Joshua barley outworked Parker. It was a disconcerted effort by both men.
Joshua won the fight by unanimous decision, but this fight was a setback in his arms race with Deontay Wilder. Wilder was very impressive against Luis Ortiz earlier in March, but Joshua didn’t awe anybody with his performance against Parker. He looked average and unenthusiastic.
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This fight looked bad for Joshua. He was expected to knock out Parker, but he could barely land purposeful punches. This was the most stagnant performance of his career. The Anthony Joshua that fought against Parker tonight wouldn’t beat Deontay Wilder. Boxing fans might seriously question if Eddie Hearn is actually protecting Joshua from Wilder.