Deontay Wilder will try to keep his career alive when he faces Zhilei Zhang on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Deontay Wilder acknowledged that his meeting with Zhilei Zhang on Saturday could be his last.
The 38-year-old former heavyweight champion is 1-3 in his last four fights, including two brutal knockout losses against then-titleholder Tyson Fury and a one-sided decision setback against Joseph Parker in his most recent fight.
Another “L” in the main event of the DAZN Pay-Per-View card in Saudi Arabia will signal that Wilder’s time has passed.
“It’s going to be a different fight this time around,” he told DAZN, “and if it’s not a different fight, then retirement is definitely highly considered.”
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) is best known for his punching power and a three-fight series with Fury, a disputed draw in 2018 and the knockouts, in 2020 and 2021.
The second fight with Fury was painfully one-sided, as the bigger, more skillful man put Wilder down twice and stopped him in seven rounds. Wilder’s fighting spirit was on display in the third fight, in which he put Fury down twice but he went down three times himself and was stopped in 11.
Wilder followed that with a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in 2022 — his only victory since 2019 — but he then fell flat against Parker after a 14-month layoff last December, losing badly on the cards.
Many wondered at that time whether he was in decline. He can dispel that notion against the capable Zhang — or confirm it.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) also is coming off loss to Parker but he put the Kiwi down twice and lost a close decision. He stopped Joe Joyce in back-to-back fights before that.
“I’ve just to go in there and be me, do what I know I can do. I’ve trained hard for it. During the last fight I trained hard as well, but I could not pull the trigger. I saw certain things, but my body would not react,” said Wilder, using words sometimes associated with a shot fighter.
“That was because of the long layoff and certain things that we did in camp we could have changed up, certain things that I could have listened to. … That kind of messed certain things up.
“But all that’s in the lesson of things, and now we have a second opportunity to correct a lot of things.”
If he doesn’t, he’ll have to do some hard thinking.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.
Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.
Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.
The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?
Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.
Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.
The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.
Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.
Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.
Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.
The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia
Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.
Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.
I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …
Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua embarrassed Francis Ngannou AND Tyson Fury on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER AND LOSER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury must’ve have been embarrassed on Friday night.
Anthony Joshua did what his countryman should’ve done when Fury fought Francis Ngannou in October, which was to demonstrate that an MMA fighter without boxing experience has no business in the ring with a top heavyweight.
Fury survived a knockdown to eke out a pathetic split decision victory in Saudi Arabia. Joshua annihilated Ngannou in the same country, dropping the Cameroonian three times and stopping him in the second round to build on his momentum and restore some honor to the sport.
The difference between Fury and Joshua in their respective fights with Ngannou?
Not complicated: Fury wasn’t professional, Joshua was.
Fury wasn’t prepared – mentally or physically, it seemed — when he stepped into the ring to face Ngannou, who had some experience in the gym early in his combat sports career but was making his professional boxing debut.
The WBC titleholder obviously thought he could defeat Ngannou just by showing up, a notion shared by many. That’s not how it’s done, however. Not even against a rookie.
Fury rallied from a third-round knockdown to outpoint Ngannou, a decision that wasn’t controversial if you understand how scoring works. However, the competitive nature of the bout was mortifying for both Fury and boxing.
Joshua clearly prepared for his meeting with Ngannou as he would any big fight. When he stepped through the ropes, he was at his best. And the former two-time champion’s best was far too good for Ngannou.
Many of those who care about boxing probably had the same thought after they celebrated the slaughter: Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) should’ve done exactly the same thing against Ngannou.
The fact he didn’t, the fact he struggled merely to have his hand raised against a newbie is a blot on his resume. It also changed my perception of him. I had predicted that he would beat the crafty, but much smaller Oleksandr Usyk handily when they meet for the undisputed championship on May 18, also in Saudi Arabia
Now I’m not so sure. Now I see it as a 50-50 fight, which shouldn’t be the case given Fury’s ability and massive size advantage.
Of course, the blessing for Fury is that he has a golden opportunity to redeem himself immediately, as a victory over Usyk would do. We’ll see which Fury shows up: the wonderfully athletic, skillful behemoth of the past or the disappointment who fell flat against Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is on a tear. He’s now 4-0 since his back-to-back setbacks against Usyk in 2021 and 2022 — including consecutive knockouts of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and now Ngannou — and bursting with confidence.
I and many others thought Joshua was in the last throes of his elite career after the Usyk losses. Now I have had to rethink that notion, too. The way he has performed of late has me convinced that the 34-year-old once again has the tools to beat anyone in the game.
RABBIT PUNCHES
I don’t mean to be too hard on Ngannou. He deserves credit for his performance against Fury. He, unlike Fury, trained to be at his best and that paid off in the form of a strong performance. However, Joshua proved that a fighter with limited boxing skills and experience can only accomplish so much. I hope Ngannou doesn’t go away, however. I’d like to see how he does against second-tier heavyweights – if he’s willing to fight them — and whether he has another surprise in him. … Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) is another fighter who proved me wrong. I thought the Kiwi was finished after he had two tough fights against Derek Chisora in 2021 and was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022. The 32-year-old former beltholder has won five consecutive fights since the setback, including decisions over Deontay Wilder in December and Zhilei Zhang on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard in his last two fights to reestablish himself as a genuine title contender. He nearly shutout Wilder and deserved better than a majority decision over Zhang, who was coming off back-to-back knockouts of Joyce. The fact Parker had to overcome two knockouts to beat his Chinese counterpart only added to the significance of the victory. Fans love a fighter who overcomes adversity to have his or her hand raised. Make no mistake: Parker is back. …
Can Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) bounce back in his 40s? He established himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with by stopping Joyce twice. However, his performance on Friday was a significant step backward. He didn’t show much against a good, experienced boxer aside from the two punches that put Parker down. I imagine he won’t walk away now, though. The knockouts against Joyce are still fresh in his mind. And he did lose a competitive decision to Parker. … I get why people were aghast over the announcement that Jake Paul will face 57-year-old Mike Tyson in what evidently will be an exhibition July 20 at AT&T Stadium near Dallas. It has freak show written all over it. At the same time, it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint. Paul and Tyson stand to make untold millions for dancing around the ring for a few rounds because many people worldwide will find value in the event. How many of us, if we had their abilities, wouldn’t do the same thing? Be honest.
Joseph Parker surviveed two knockdowns to outpoint Zhilei Zhang on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhilei Zhang delivered the two most impactful punches of the fight. It was mostly Joseph Parker beyond that.
Parker survived a pair of knockdowns to defeat Zhang by a majority decision and build on his momentum on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou card on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory was the former titleholder’s fifth in a row after he was stopped in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September 2022, including a one-sided decision over Deontay Wilder in his previous fight, on Dec. 23.
The fight on Friday was for Zhang’s WBO “interim” title, which puts Parker in a prime position to fight for the sanctioning body’s world title sometime soon.
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) appeared to be in trouble in Round 3, when a straight left from the Chinese southpaw put him on his trunks.
The Kiwi bounced back to have a strong Round 4 and controlled the next several rounds. Then, in Round 8, a short right hook from Zhang forced Parker to take a knee.
Again, however, he demonstrated impressive resilience by reasserting himself and outboxing Zhang down the stretch.
One judge scored it 113-113, seven rounds to five for Zhang. However, the other two had Parker winning, 115-111 and 114-112.
Parker outworked and outlanded Zhang, according to CompuBox. Parker was 101 of 349 in overall punches, 79 of 168 in power shots. Zhang was 75 of 273 and 40 of 147, respectively.
The loss halted Zhang’s considerable momentum. The 40-year-old was coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Joyce.
Joseph Parker surviveed two knockdowns to outpoint Zhilei Zhang on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zhilei Zhang delivered the two most impactful punches of the fight. It was mostly Joseph Parker beyond that.
Parker survived a pair of knockdowns to defeat Zhang by a majority decision and build on his momentum on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou card on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory was the former titleholder’s fifth in a row after he was stopped in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September 2022, including a one-sided decision over Deontay Wilder in his previous fight, on Dec. 23.
The fight on Friday was for Zhang’s WBO “interim” title, which puts Parker in a prime position to fight for the sanctioning body’s world title sometime soon.
Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) appeared to be in trouble in Round 3, when a straight left from the Chinese southpaw put him on his trunks.
The Kiwi bounced back to have a strong Round 4 and controlled the next several rounds. Then, in Round 8, a short right hook from Zhang forced Parker to take a knee.
Again, however, he demonstrated impressive resilience by reasserting himself and outboxing Zhang down the stretch.
One judge scored it 113-113, seven rounds to five for Zhang. However, the other two had Parker winning, 115-111 and 114-112.
Parker outworked and outlanded Zhang, according to CompuBox. Parker was 101 of 349 in overall punches, 79 of 168 in power shots. Zhang was 75 of 273 and 40 of 147, respectively.
The loss halted Zhang’s considerable momentum. The 40-year-old was coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Joyce.
Watch the highlights of Joseph Parker vs. Deontay Wilder at Day of Reckoning.
[autotag]Deontay Wilder[/autotag] surprised many Saturday night, and not in a good way.
The former heavyweight boxing champion lost a unanimous decision to Joseph Parker in the co-main event of Day of Reckoning, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
You can watch the highlights of Wilder’s defeat in the video above.
With the loss, Wilder is now 1-3 in his most recent four fights, a run that saw him lose the WBC title to Tyson Fury. Wilder was expected by many to defeat Parker and set up a superfight against Anthony Joshua, who won in the main event of the card.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua sizzled and Deontay Wilder fizzled on a big night of boxing Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Anthony Joshua
No on is surprised that Anthony Joshua defeated Otto Wallin on the massive card Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. The former heavyweight champion has far superior tools to that of his Swedish opponent, which resulted in a fifth-round knockout. It was the manner in which Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) carried himself that was an eye opener. He fought with the confidence and purpose of an elite fighter who believes in himself and has found peace, which doesn’t seem to have been the case since the days before he was knocked out by Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019. Of course, we shouldn’t get carried away. Again, Wallin (26-2, 14 KOs) was a limited threat. And Joshua wasn’t forced to overcome any sort of adversity, which would be the ultimate test of his current mettle. Still, the Joshua we saw on Saturday – under new trainer Ben Davison – looked a lot like the Olympic gold medalist who became the top big man in the mid-2010s. We can’t dismiss his loss to Ruiz and back-to-back setbacks against the gifted Oleksandr Usyk, which will always be a part of Joshua’s story. We can say that he appears to be writing a new chapter, one in which he just might be a dominating heavyweight once again.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Joseph Parker
Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) had the skill and experience to execute an excellent game plan perfectly. The former heavyweight titleholder didn’t overwhelm Deontay Wilder in spite of the one-sided scores in his favor in the co-feature in Riyadh. He landed a total of 89 punches, seven per round, according to CompuBox. That isn’t exactly a beat down. No, the beauty of his performance was his ability to avoid Wilder’s dangerous right hand and do enough offensively to win round after round, just as trainer Andy Lee drew it up. Parker simply stayed out of Wilder’s range or crowded him inside, which made it difficult for Wilder to get in position to land what had become his inevitable knockout blow. Parker took only 39 shots. Meanwhile, he found opportune, relatively safe moments to land his own punches. His overhand right was the best punch in the fight. Thus, Parker was able to tame one of the most feared fighters of the era and reassert himself as a legitimate championship contender. The 31-year-old Kiwi couldn’t have had a much better night.
BIGGEST LOSER
Deontay Wilder
Have we seen the last of Deontay Wilder? Richard Pelham / Getty Images
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) is anything but a loser despite what you might hear or read on social media. He did exactly what we all strive to do in our careers: He made the most of his ability. He came late to boxing, meaning he has never had the fundamental foundation of most of his opponents. Still, he won a bronze medal in the Olympics, had a five-year reign as world champion as a professional, gained a reputation as one of the hardest punchers of all time, put Tyson Fury down four times in three fights, gave Fury absolute hell in their third meeting and will one day be inducted into the International Hall of Fame. And he won’t be defined by his performance against Parker. I always believed that one day Wilder would fail to land his mammoth right hand or another big shot and lose a decision to a good opponent as a result. To his credit, it happened 15 years into his career. He wasn’t fooling people all this time, as some have suggested. We all knew what his limitations were. His ability to overcome them was what made him so impressive. If he’s finished – and perhaps he would be wise to retire at 38 – he should be proud of what he accomplished.
RABBIT PUNCHES
More thoughts on Joshua and Wilder: Where did Joshua’s inner tranquility come from? I suspect he has clicked with his countryman Davison, for one thing. And I believe he has a different perspective on his career. The worst has already happened. He was knocked out and now has three setbacks, which, as it turned out, didn’t destroy his career. The pressure is off. He can now fight to win instead of fighting not to lose, the latter of which is no way to approach a fight. I don’t know whether he can beat Fury or Usyk, although his second meeting with the Ukrainian was close. I simply believe that self doubt wouldn’t play as big of a role as it has in the past. … Wilder’s critics have suggested that Parker is the best opponent he faced other than Fury, their way of saying he was exposed against a genuine threat. Again, a fighter isn’t exposed if you understand his limitations beforehand. And while Parker might be his second most formidable foe he’s not that much better than Luis Ortiz, who Wilder defeated twice. And let’s not forget: Wilder had fought less than one full round in more than two years going into the fight. I wonder how he would’ve fared if he had been as busy as Parker, who had four fights this year. Last thing on Wilder: Will he be remembered as a great fighter? No. Will he be remembered as one of the most exciting? Absolutely. …
Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) could end up as a big winner as a result of the show in Riyadh. The rising Croatian heavyweight did his job on the card, stopping ridiculously overmatched Mark De Mori (41-3-2, 36 KOs) in the first round. Then Parker did him a favor by upsetting Wilder. That could land Hrgovic a meeting with Joshua, who had been set to fight Wilder if things went well on Saturday. If Hrgovic gets that fight and wins – a big if – he will move to the front of line among those jockeying for a shot at a world title. … Cruiserweight beltholder Jai Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) didn’t give us much of a chance to admire his all-around ability on the Joshua-Wallin and Parker-Wilder card, stopping Ellis Zorro (17-1, 7 KOs) with a monstrous left hand that left an immobile Zorro with his head resting on the bottom rope in the first round. At least Opetaia made a strong impression. The Aussie’s mission now is to take the next step in his career, which would be a victory over a big-name opponent. But who? Gilberto Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) might be the most intriguing possibility at the moment. The durable Mexican is a former 168-pound titleholder who failed in a bid to take Dmitry Bivol’s 175-pound title and is now campaigning as a 200-pounder. He outpointed Joe Smith Jr. in October. Ramirez is high profile enough to bring attention to the matchup and could give Opetaia problems. …
Also on the Joshua-Wallin and Parker-Wilder card … Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) had no trouble with Lydon Arthur (23-2, 16 KOs), winning a shutout decision in defense of his 175-pound title. No surprise there. The winner’s inability to take out his counterpart probably was a disappointment in the Bivol camp but it doesn’t detract much from another dominating performance. His skill level is somewhere above the stratosphere. I hope a meeting with Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) for the undisputed championship comes next, assuming Beterbiev beats Callum Smith on Jan. 13. I think Bivol will win that bout because he’s a better all-around fighter than Beterbiev but it will he’s ultimate test. … Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) gave arguably the strongest performance of his career, outworking and then stopping 333-pound Jarrell Miller in the 10th and final round of a grueling fight. The winner outlanded his opponent 208-107, according to CompuBox. The victory was a significant step back into title contention after his knockout loss against Usyk, in which some fans believe he quit. Meanwhile, it’s difficult to be sympathetic to Miller, who has failed two drug tests. …
Agit Kabayel (24-0, 16 KOs) turned in an impressive upset, stopping hulking Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-1, 17 KOs) in the fourth round of their heavyweight matchup to raise his profile. It was Kabayel’s all-around ability vs. Makhumdov’s brawn and power, which turned out to be a mismatch. … Talented heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez (24-0, 17 KOs) put Junior Fa (20-3, 11 KOs) away in the seventh round, just another impressive performance from the Cuban. He’s clearly ready to take on a next-level opponent. … And, finally, my thoughts and prayers go out to 92-year-old Hall of Fame TV analyst and accomplished journalist Larry Merchant, who reportedly was rushed to the hospital and placed in a critical care unit this week. No further details were available. Merchant is the best analyst ever. And those in the business who have had the privilege of spending time with him cherish his friendship.
Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua sizzled and Deontay Wilder fizzled on a big night of boxing Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Anthony Joshua
No on is surprised that Anthony Joshua defeated Otto Wallin on the massive card Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. The former heavyweight champion has far superior tools to that of his Swedish opponent, which resulted in a fifth-round knockout. It was the manner in which Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) carried himself that was an eye opener. He fought with the confidence and purpose of an elite fighter who believes in himself and has found peace, which doesn’t seem to have been the case since the days before he was knocked out by Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019. Of course, we shouldn’t get carried away. Again, Wallin (26-2, 14 KOs) was a limited threat. And Joshua wasn’t forced to overcome any sort of adversity, which would be the ultimate test of his current mettle. Still, the Joshua we saw on Saturday – under new trainer Ben Davison – looked a lot like the Olympic gold medalist who became the top big man in the mid-2010s. We can’t dismiss his loss to Ruiz and back-to-back setbacks against the gifted Oleksandr Usyk, which will always be a part of Joshua’s story. We can say that he appears to be writing a new chapter, one in which he just might be a dominating heavyweight once again.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Joseph Parker
Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) had the skill and experience to execute an excellent game plan perfectly. The former heavyweight titleholder didn’t overwhelm Deontay Wilder in spite of the one-sided scores in his favor in the co-feature in Riyadh. He landed a total of 89 punches, seven per round, according to CompuBox. That isn’t exactly a beat down. No, the beauty of his performance was his ability to avoid Wilder’s dangerous right hand and do enough offensively to win round after round, just as trainer Andy Lee drew it up. Parker simply stayed out of Wilder’s range or crowded him inside, which made it difficult for Wilder to get in position to land what had become his inevitable knockout blow. Parker took only 39 shots. Meanwhile, he found opportune, relatively safe moments to land his own punches. His overhand right was the best punch in the fight. Thus, Parker was able to tame one of the most feared fighters of the era and reassert himself as a legitimate championship contender. The 31-year-old Kiwi couldn’t have had a much better night.
BIGGEST LOSER
Deontay Wilder
Have we seen the last of Deontay Wilder? Richard Pelham / Getty Images
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) is anything but a loser despite what you might hear or read on social media. He did exactly what we all strive to do in our careers: He made the most of his ability. He came late to boxing, meaning he has never had the fundamental foundation of most of his opponents. Still, he won a bronze medal in the Olympics, had a five-year reign as world champion as a professional, gained a reputation as one of the hardest punchers of all time, put Tyson Fury down four times in three fights, gave Fury absolute hell in their third meeting and will one day be inducted into the International Hall of Fame. And he won’t be defined by his performance against Parker. I always believed that one day Wilder would fail to land his mammoth right hand or another big shot and lose a decision to a good opponent as a result. To his credit, it happened 15 years into his career. He wasn’t fooling people all this time, as some have suggested. We all knew what his limitations were. His ability to overcome them was what made him so impressive. If he’s finished – and perhaps he would be wise to retire at 38 – he should be proud of what he accomplished.
RABBIT PUNCHES
More thoughts on Joshua and Wilder: Where did Joshua’s inner tranquility come from? I suspect he has clicked with his countryman Davison, for one thing. And I believe he has a different perspective on his career. The worst has already happened. He was knocked out and now has three setbacks, which, as it turned out, didn’t destroy his career. The pressure is off. He can now fight to win instead of fighting not to lose, the latter of which is no way to approach a fight. I don’t know whether he can beat Fury or Usyk, although his second meeting with the Ukrainian was close. I simply believe that self doubt wouldn’t play as big of a role as it has in the past. … Wilder’s critics have suggested that Parker is the best opponent he faced other than Fury, their way of saying he was exposed against a genuine threat. Again, a fighter isn’t exposed if you understand his limitations beforehand. And while Parker might be his second most formidable foe he’s not that much better than Luis Ortiz, who Wilder defeated twice. And let’s not forget: Wilder had fought less than one full round in more than two years going into the fight. I wonder how he would’ve fared if he had been as busy as Parker, who had four fights this year. Last thing on Wilder: Will he be remembered as a great fighter? No. Will he be remembered as one of the most exciting? Absolutely. …
Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) could end up as a big winner as a result of the show in Riyadh. The rising Croatian heavyweight did his job on the card, stopping ridiculously overmatched Mark De Mori (41-3-2, 36 KOs) in the first round. Then Parker did him a favor by upsetting Wilder. That could land Hrgovic a meeting with Joshua, who had been set to fight Wilder if things went well on Saturday. If Hrgovic gets that fight and wins – a big if – he will move to the front of line among those jockeying for a shot at a world title. … Cruiserweight beltholder Jai Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) didn’t give us much of a chance to admire his all-around ability on the Joshua-Wallin and Parker-Wilder card, stopping Ellis Zorro (17-1, 7 KOs) with a monstrous left hand that left an immobile Zorro with his head resting on the bottom rope in the first round. At least Opetaia made a strong impression. The Aussie’s mission now is to take the next step in his career, which would be a victory over a big-name opponent. But who? Gilberto Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) might be the most intriguing possibility at the moment. The durable Mexican is a former 168-pound titleholder who failed in a bid to take Dmitry Bivol’s 175-pound title and is now campaigning as a 200-pounder. He outpointed Joe Smith Jr. in October. Ramirez is high profile enough to bring attention to the matchup and could give Opetaia problems. …
Also on the Joshua-Wallin and Parker-Wilder card … Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) had no trouble with Lydon Arthur (23-2, 16 KOs), winning a shutout decision in defense of his 175-pound title. No surprise there. The winner’s inability to take out his counterpart probably was a disappointment in the Bivol camp but it doesn’t detract much from another dominating performance. His skill level is somewhere above the stratosphere. I hope a meeting with Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) for the undisputed championship comes next, assuming Beterbiev beats Callum Smith on Jan. 13. I think Bivol will win that bout because he’s a better all-around fighter than Beterbiev but it will he’s ultimate test. … Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) gave arguably the strongest performance of his career, outworking and then stopping 333-pound Jarrell Miller in the 10th and final round of a grueling fight. The winner outlanded his opponent 208-107, according to CompuBox. The victory was a significant step back into title contention after his knockout loss against Usyk, in which some fans believe he quit. Meanwhile, it’s difficult to be sympathetic to Miller, who has failed two drug tests. …
Agit Kabayel (24-0, 16 KOs) turned in an impressive upset, stopping hulking Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-1, 17 KOs) in the fourth round of their heavyweight matchup to raise his profile. It was Kabayel’s all-around ability vs. Makhumdov’s brawn and power, which turned out to be a mismatch. … Talented heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez (24-0, 17 KOs) put Junior Fa (20-3, 11 KOs) away in the seventh round, just another impressive performance from the Cuban. He’s clearly ready to take on a next-level opponent. … And, finally, my thoughts and prayers go out to 92-year-old Hall of Fame TV analyst and accomplished journalist Larry Merchant, who reportedly was rushed to the hospital and placed in a critical care unit this week. No further details were available. Merchant is the best analyst ever. And those in the business who have had the privilege of spending time with him cherish his friendship.
Joseph Parker stunned Deontay Wilder and the boxing world by winning a one-sided decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Forget [autotag]Deontay Wilder[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Joshua[/autotag]. Wilder could be finished as an elite fighter.
Joseph Parker did a brilliant job of avoiding Wilder’s vaunted right hand and more than enough offensively to win a one-sided decision in a battle of former heavyweight titleholders Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
The official scores were 120-108, 118-110 and 118-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110 for Parker, 10 rounds to two.
Joseph Parker upsets Deontay Wilder, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 118-111, 118-110 & 120-108, improving his record to 34-3. pic.twitter.com/BTzIWjxKcr
Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) executed a smart game plan, staying outside the reach of a huge puncher or rushing inside to smother him while finding opportune times to attack.
The Kiwi was particularly effective with his overhand right hand, which found the mark on numerous occasions.
Wilder did more waiting than punching, evidently trying to find an opening to land his vaunted right hand that never came. As a result, he let round by round — and ultimately the fight — slip away.
The loser landed only 39 total punches, an average of three-plus per round, according to CompuBox. Parker landed 89 punches.
Parker hurt Wilder only once — the result of an overhand right last in Round 8 — but his inability to put him down or knock him out didn’t detract from a dominating performance.
The victory was one of the biggest in the career of Parker, who has won four consecutive fights since he was stopped by Joe Joyce in September of last year.
He’s now in a strong position to fight for a major title in the coming year.
Meanwhile, Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) had fought only one round in the past two years, his first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in October of last year. That followed back-to-back knockout losses to Tyson Fury, which might’ve taken something out of the 38-year-old.
Wilder gave mixed messages after the fight, saying he’d be back but also indicating that he was satisfied with what he had accomplished.
He and Joshua had agreed to face one another in March if things went well on Saturday. Instead of taking part in that massive event, Wilder has some thinking to do.
