Tag: joseph parker

Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns to defend 168-pound titles

Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns on Saturday to defend his 168-pound titles.

FIGHT WEEK

Canelo Alvarez makes the first defense of his 168-pound titles against prohibitive underdog Avni Yildirim on Saturday night in Miami

***

DANIELE SCARDINA (18-0, 14 KOs) VS.
CESAR NUNEZ (17-2-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KlsKzTnIU

  • When: Friday, Feb. 26
  • Where: Allianz Cloud, Milan, Italy
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: European title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Maxim Prodan vs. Nicola Cristofori, welterweights; Francesco Grandelli vs. Davide Tassi, featherweights; Tobia Loriga vs. Nicholas Esposito, welterweights
  • Prediction: Scardina KO 9
  • Background: Scardina is a 28-year-old Italian who is based in Miami. The capable boxer-puncher from the town of Rozzano has had success against European-level opposition but has yet to face elite opposition. He has a good knockout record but has gone the distance in his last three fights. He was last in the ring in Dec. 18, when he outpointed Serhiy Radchenko. Nunez, a 35-year-old Spaniard, probably isn’t a significant threat to Scardina. He’s coming off a second-round TKO victory over journeyman Alejandro Mostazo in Spain but failed to win his previous three fights, in which he was 0-2-1. He was stopped by light-punching Vincent Feigenbutz (eighth round) and Edgar Berlanga (first) in those losses.

***

CANELO ALVAREZ (54-1-2, 36 KOs)
VS. AVNI YILDIRIM (21-2, 12 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2k8kucKTk

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
  • TV/Stream: DAZN and PPV
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: Alvarez’s WBA and WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Alvarez No. 2
  • Odds: Alvarez 21-1 (BetMGM)
  • Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Zhang Zhilei vs. Jerry Forrest, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Alvarez KO 7
  • Background: Alvarez will be making the first defense of the titles he won by easily outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19. The 30-year-old Mexican star agreed to fight Yildirim because the Turk is his mandatory challenger and to keep busy after a year-long layoff before the Smith fight. He could fight four times this year, including a title-unification showdown with Billy Joe Saunders in May and possibly another unification matchup with Caleb Plant in September. Yildirim, a 29-year-old from Turkey, is a solid all-round fighter but not in Alvarez’s class. He has a few notable victories (Aaron Pryor Jr. and Marco Antonio Periban) but was blown out by Chris Eubank Jr. in three rounds and lost a unanimous technical decision to Anthony Dirrell in a fight for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title in February 2019. That was Yildirim’s most-recent fight, which means he will have been out of the ring for two years when he faces Alvarez. The challenger agreed to step aside temporarily so Alvarez could fight then-champion Smith for the titles.

[lawrence-related id=17675,17520]

***

KAMSHYBEK KUNKABAYEV (2-0, 2 KOs)
VS. STEVEN WARD (13-1, 4 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_JTdHHr2Q

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Tynyshpayev Academy of Transport and Communications, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Evgeny Smirnov vs. Nurtas Azhbenov, lightweights; Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs. TBA, middleweights
  • Prediction: Kunkabayev KO 7
  • Background: Kunkabayev is another former amateur star on a fast track in the professional ranks. The 29-year-old two-time silver medalist at the World Championships is taking part in a scheduled 10-rounder in only his third pro fight, albeit in his home country. He is a southpaw. Ward, 30, is probably best known for taking on Game of Thrones star “Mountain,” Thor Bjornsson, in an exhibition last month. However, he’s had some success as a legitimate boxer. He started his career 12-0, capped by a technical decision over Liam Conroy to win a minor light heavyweight title in June 2019 only to be stopped in one round by Ricards Bolotniks at the same weight six months later. He bounced back to outpoint journeyman Jone Volau in his first fight as a full-fledged cruiserweight this past September. Bottom line: Ward will be in with a naturally bigger, better and (if you count his amateur career) more experienced opponent.

***

ANTHONY DIRRELL (33-2-1, 24 KOs)
VS. KYRONE DAVIS (15-2, 6 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPMe-VIFYC4&t=149s

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
  • TV/Stream: FOX
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jesus Alejandro Ramos vs. Jesus Emilio Bojorquez, 10 rounds, welterweights
  • Prediction: Dirrell UD
  • Background: Dirrell, a two-time 168-pound titleholder, has been out of the ring since September 2019. That’s when he lost his second belt to David Benavidez by a ninth-round knockout, the result of a deep cut above Dirrell’s right eye that was caused by a punch and ended the fight prematurely. Dirrell was competitive in that bout but faded in the last several rounds. The native of Flint, Mich., had won six consecutive fights before that, including a technical decision over Avni Yildirim in February 2019 to regain a belt. He also was cut in that fight. Dirrell, 36, might be making his last run at another title. Davis, 26, is a capable boxer but is moving up in class. The resident of Wilmington, Del., has beaten two journeymen since he lost a unanimous decision against Patrick Day in March 2018. His last fight was in January of last year, when he stopped Antonio Todd in four rounds.

[lawrence-related id=614]

***

JOSEPH PARKER (27-2, 21 KOs)
VS. JUNIOR FA (19-0, 10 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2x47-ebX0

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Spark Arena, Auckland
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Heavyweight (unlimited)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Alrie Meleisea vs. Lani Daniels, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Parker UD
  • Background: Parker’s mission is to remain in contention for a title shot should one present himself. The 29-year-old former beltholder from New Zealand has won three consecutive fights – all by knockout – since he lost to Anthony Joshua (which cost him his title) and Dillian Whyte back to back in 2018. Parker last fought in February of last year, when he stopped journeyman Shawndell Winters in five rounds. Fa, also from New Zealand, reportedly defeated Parker twice in the amateurs but has yet to reach the elite level as a professional. Of course, this is his opportunity to get there. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Devin Vargas in November 2019. Fa is 6-foot-5, an inch taller than Parker, and thick. He weighed 267.5 for the Vargas fight. Parker weighed 245.25 against Winters.

Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns to defend 168-pound titles

Fight Week: Canelo Alvarez returns on Saturday to defend his 168-pound titles.

FIGHT WEEK

Canelo Alvarez makes the first defense of his 168-pound titles against prohibitive underdog Avni Yildirim on Saturday night in Miami

***

DANIELE SCARDINA (18-0, 14 KOs) VS.
CESAR NUNEZ (17-2-1, 9 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KlsKzTnIU

  • When: Friday, Feb. 26
  • Where: Allianz Cloud, Milan, Italy
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: European title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Maxim Prodan vs. Nicola Cristofori, welterweights; Francesco Grandelli vs. Davide Tassi, featherweights; Tobia Loriga vs. Nicholas Esposito, welterweights
  • Prediction: Scardina KO 9
  • Background: Scardina is a 28-year-old Italian who is based in Miami. The capable boxer-puncher from the town of Rozzano has had success against European-level opposition but has yet to face elite opposition. He has a good knockout record but has gone the distance in his last three fights. He was last in the ring in Dec. 18, when he outpointed Serhiy Radchenko. Nunez, a 35-year-old Spaniard, probably isn’t a significant threat to Scardina. He’s coming off a second-round TKO victory over journeyman Alejandro Mostazo in Spain but failed to win his previous three fights, in which he was 0-2-1. He was stopped by light-punching Vincent Feigenbutz (eighth round) and Edgar Berlanga (first) in those losses.

***

CANELO ALVAREZ (54-1-2, 36 KOs)
VS. AVNI YILDIRIM (21-2, 12 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2k8kucKTk

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
  • TV/Stream: DAZN and PPV
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: Alvarez’s WBA and WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Alvarez No. 2
  • Odds: Alvarez 21-1 (BetMGM)
  • Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Zhang Zhilei vs. Jerry Forrest, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Alvarez KO 7
  • Background: Alvarez will be making the first defense of the titles he won by easily outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19. The 30-year-old Mexican star agreed to fight Yildirim because the Turk is his mandatory challenger and to keep busy after a year-long layoff before the Smith fight. He could fight four times this year, including a title-unification showdown with Billy Joe Saunders in May and possibly another unification matchup with Caleb Plant in September. Yildirim, a 29-year-old from Turkey, is a solid all-round fighter but not in Alvarez’s class. He has a few notable victories (Aaron Pryor Jr. and Marco Antonio Periban) but was blown out by Chris Eubank Jr. in three rounds and lost a unanimous technical decision to Anthony Dirrell in a fight for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title in February 2019. That was Yildirim’s most-recent fight, which means he will have been out of the ring for two years when he faces Alvarez. The challenger agreed to step aside temporarily so Alvarez could fight then-champion Smith for the titles.

[lawrence-related id=17675,17520]

***

KAMSHYBEK KUNKABAYEV (2-0, 2 KOs)
VS. STEVEN WARD (13-1, 4 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_JTdHHr2Q

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Tynyshpayev Academy of Transport and Communications, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Evgeny Smirnov vs. Nurtas Azhbenov, lightweights; Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs. TBA, middleweights
  • Prediction: Kunkabayev KO 7
  • Background: Kunkabayev is another former amateur star on a fast track in the professional ranks. The 29-year-old two-time silver medalist at the World Championships is taking part in a scheduled 10-rounder in only his third pro fight, albeit in his home country. He is a southpaw. Ward, 30, is probably best known for taking on Game of Thrones star “Mountain,” Thor Bjornsson, in an exhibition last month. However, he’s had some success as a legitimate boxer. He started his career 12-0, capped by a technical decision over Liam Conroy to win a minor light heavyweight title in June 2019 only to be stopped in one round by Ricards Bolotniks at the same weight six months later. He bounced back to outpoint journeyman Jone Volau in his first fight as a full-fledged cruiserweight this past September. Bottom line: Ward will be in with a naturally bigger, better and (if you count his amateur career) more experienced opponent.

***

ANTHONY DIRRELL (33-2-1, 24 KOs)
VS. KYRONE DAVIS (15-2, 6 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPMe-VIFYC4&t=149s

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles
  • TV/Stream: FOX
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jesus Alejandro Ramos vs. Jesus Emilio Bojorquez, 10 rounds, welterweights
  • Prediction: Dirrell UD
  • Background: Dirrell, a two-time 168-pound titleholder, has been out of the ring since September 2019. That’s when he lost his second belt to David Benavidez by a ninth-round knockout, the result of a deep cut above Dirrell’s right eye that was caused by a punch and ended the fight prematurely. Dirrell was competitive in that bout but faded in the last several rounds. The native of Flint, Mich., had won six consecutive fights before that, including a technical decision over Avni Yildirim in February 2019 to regain a belt. He also was cut in that fight. Dirrell, 36, might be making his last run at another title. Davis, 26, is a capable boxer but is moving up in class. The resident of Wilmington, Del., has beaten two journeymen since he lost a unanimous decision against Patrick Day in March 2018. His last fight was in January of last year, when he stopped Antonio Todd in four rounds.

[lawrence-related id=614]

***

JOSEPH PARKER (27-2, 21 KOs)
VS. JUNIOR FA (19-0, 10 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2x47-ebX0

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Spark Arena, Auckland
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Heavyweight (unlimited)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Alrie Meleisea vs. Lani Daniels, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Parker UD
  • Background: Parker’s mission is to remain in contention for a title shot should one present himself. The 29-year-old former beltholder from New Zealand has won three consecutive fights – all by knockout – since he lost to Anthony Joshua (which cost him his title) and Dillian Whyte back to back in 2018. Parker last fought in February of last year, when he stopped journeyman Shawndell Winters in five rounds. Fa, also from New Zealand, reportedly defeated Parker twice in the amateurs but has yet to reach the elite level as a professional. Of course, this is his opportunity to get there. He’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Devin Vargas in November 2019. Fa is 6-foot-5, an inch taller than Parker, and thick. He weighed 267.5 for the Vargas fight. Parker weighed 245.25 against Winters.

Luis Ortiz knocks out Alexander Flores in only 45 seconds

Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz knocked out Alexander Flores in only 45 seconds Saturday in Los Angeles.

Luis Ortiz’s comeback fight was quick and emphatic. And the ending was strange.

The heavyweight contender stopped Alexander Flores only 45 seconds into a scheduled 10-round bout Saturday night at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The fight was just getting started when Ortiz’s right biceps muscle seemed to hit Flores in the face while he was throwing a hook to the body, putting Flores down.

The Los Angeles area-fighter was able to stand before the count of 10 but he couldn’t continue.

Flores said afterward that he had a problem with his left eye, the apparent result of the arm to the face. He told a FOX reporter that his vision went black and legs went numb.

Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) was coming off a seventh-round knockout loss in his rematch with Deontay Wilder in November of last year.

The 41-year-old Cuban was hoping that this fight would lead to another shot at a world title.

Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs) has had success on the club level but he has failed against top-level opponents. He was also stopped by Charles Martin and Joseph Parker.

Luis Ortiz knocks out Alexander Flores in only 45 seconds

Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz knocked out Alexander Flores in only 45 seconds Saturday in Los Angeles.

Luis Ortiz’s comeback fight was quick and emphatic. And the ending was strange.

The heavyweight contender stopped Alexander Flores only 45 seconds into a scheduled 10-round bout Saturday night at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The fight was just getting started when Ortiz’s right biceps muscle seemed to hit Flores in the face while he was throwing a hook to the body, putting Flores down.

The Los Angeles area-fighter was able to stand before the count of 10 but he couldn’t continue.

Flores said afterward that he had a problem with his left eye, the apparent result of the arm to the face. He told a FOX reporter that his vision went black and legs went numb.

Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) was coming off a seventh-round knockout loss in his rematch with Deontay Wilder in November of last year.

The 41-year-old Cuban was hoping that this fight would lead to another shot at a world title.

Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs) has had success on the club level but he has failed against top-level opponents. He was also stopped by Charles Martin and Joseph Parker.

Joseph Parker vs. Junior Fa set for Dec. 11 in Auckland

Joseph Parker is scheduled to face Junior Fa on Dec. 11 (in New Zealand) at Spark Arena in Auckland, the hometown of both fighters.

Joseph Parker will return to the ring in one of the biggest-ever fights in New Zealand.

The former heavyweight titleholder is scheduled to face Junior Fa on Dec. 11 (in New Zealand) at Spark Arena in Auckland, the hometown of both fighters. The card will be streamed on DAZN.

Parker, ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, is coming off a fifth-round knockout of Shawndell Winters in February in Dallas.

Fa (19-0, 10 KOs), also ranked by one alphabet organization, last fought in November, when he easily outpointed Devin Vargas in Salt Lake City. He and Parker were rivals in the amateur ranks.

“This is going to be war,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “… There’s plenty of needle with the amateur rivalry and there’s national pride at stake. A win over Fa will catapult Joe back into world ritle contention.”

Said Lou DiBella, Fa’s promoter: “I’ve always believed that Junior Fa had the ability to become a world champion and, on December 11, he’ll have the opportunity to prove that against a former heavyweight champion and amateur rival in countryman Joseph Parker.

“Not only is this matchup one of the biggest fights in New Zealand history, it has high significance on the heavyweight landscape worldwide, with the winner closing in on a world title shot. With a win, Junior can become a New Zealand sports superstar and a worldwide boxing star in one night.”

Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) won his title by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2016, successfully defended it two times and then lost it to Anthony Joshua by decision in 2018.

[lawrence-related id=9591,7714]

Joseph Parker vs. Junior Fa set for Dec. 11 in Auckland

Joseph Parker is scheduled to face Junior Fa on Dec. 11 (in New Zealand) at Spark Arena in Auckland, the hometown of both fighters.

Joseph Parker will return to the ring in one of the biggest-ever fights in New Zealand.

The former heavyweight titleholder is scheduled to face Junior Fa on Dec. 11 (in New Zealand) at Spark Arena in Auckland, the hometown of both fighters. The card will be streamed on DAZN.

Parker, ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, is coming off a fifth-round knockout of Shawndell Winters in February in Dallas.

Fa (19-0, 10 KOs), also ranked by one alphabet organization, last fought in November, when he easily outpointed Devin Vargas in Salt Lake City. He and Parker were rivals in the amateur ranks.

“This is going to be war,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “… There’s plenty of needle with the amateur rivalry and there’s national pride at stake. A win over Fa will catapult Joe back into world ritle contention.”

Said Lou DiBella, Fa’s promoter: “I’ve always believed that Junior Fa had the ability to become a world champion and, on December 11, he’ll have the opportunity to prove that against a former heavyweight champion and amateur rival in countryman Joseph Parker.

“Not only is this matchup one of the biggest fights in New Zealand history, it has high significance on the heavyweight landscape worldwide, with the winner closing in on a world title shot. With a win, Junior can become a New Zealand sports superstar and a worldwide boxing star in one night.”

Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) won his title by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2016, successfully defended it two times and then lost it to Anthony Joshua by decision in 2018.

[lawrence-related id=9591,7714]

Joseph Parker prefers rematch with Dillian Whyte over Anthony Joshua

Joseph Parker prefers rematch with Dillian Whyte over Anthony Joshua.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on DAZN.com.

***

Former heavyweight titleholder Joseph Parker is itching to get back into the boxing ring once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and he’s able to travel. With a record of 27-2, the New Zealander is possibly a fight or two away from being right back in the title conversation.

At the moment, there are reported conversations taking place about the possibility of Parker facing Lucas Browne somewhere in New Zealand, with Queenstown, Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington as potential options for a late August or early September fight.

A showdown with Browne isn’t necessarily the one Parker is yearning for. With his losses coming to current unified champion Anthony Joshua and  Dillian Whyte, Parker was asked by DAZN News which loss he’d like to avenge more.

The answer may surprise you.

“The one I want more would be Dillian Whyte,” Parker said. “It was a close fight, and he was the better man on that day. But a few things happened before the fight, and I want to get my hands on him again.”

Most would assume that, given Joshua’s current status as unified champion of the world, Parker would seek to get that opportunity again. While he did say he’d want a rematch with Joshua as well, it’s the loss to Whyte that Parker has taken a bigger issue with.

“Just the way the fight went, really,” Parker said. “I know I could have beaten him, but a few things like the headbutt happened in the second round. He was good and it was a rough fight.”

Parker and Whyte met for the vacant WBO title on July 28, 2018 at the O2 Arena in London. The fight was a thrilling showdown that saw Parker taste the canvas for the first time in his career. A knockdown was scored by White in the second round, but a replay showed that it came from a clash of heads.

Parker was in control early, but Whyte made a diligent effort to take away the Kiwi’s hand speed by deploying some roughhouse tactics in the middle rounds. Parker roared back in the championship rounds and dropped Whyte in the final frame.

Whyte barely survived and, given the opportunity, Parker would love to get another crack at him. Even if that means he’d have to push aside a rematch with Joshua.

“For me, it was the more challenging fight at the time because I was coming off of the loss [to Joshua],” Parker said. “All of these other factors came into play on fight night. There’s a little bit of bad blood between us.”

Whyte has gone on record stating that Parker would need to work his way back up the ladder and currently has no interest in a rematch.

“I feel like if we have a second fight it would be exciting, and I could beat him,” Parker said. “He’s said that I have to earn my way back to the top, which is fine. He’s been fighting good opponents, and I’ve been trying to get those opponents.

“I would fight Anthony Joshua again because he has the belts, but the rematch I really want is with Whyte.”

Video: Joseph Parker says ‘remember to have fun’

Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker, who is more fun-loving than some realized, Tweeted a video that is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Everyone could use a lift these days. And heavyweight Joseph Parker provided it.

The longtime contender, who evidently is more fun-loving than some of us realized, Tweeted a video that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Who knew the big man had these kind of dance moves?

And he did it for the right reason: To provide a bit of happiness during a difficult time.

He wrote: “To everyone at Home and around the World, keep your families safe…..and remember to have FUN!”

As of Saturday evening, more than a half million people had viewed the video. Check it out.

Joseph Parker returns with 5th-round knockout of Shawndell Winters

Joseph Parker returned from an extended layoff to defeat Shawndell Winters with a fifth-round knockout in Frisco, Texas.

Joseph Parker is done itching his spider bite. He’s now itching for a big fight.

The Auckland, New Zealand native returned from an eight-month layoff to knock off Shawndell Winters inside five rounds at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco Texas on the undercard of Mikey Garcia-Jesse Vargas. 

Late in Round 5, Parker staggered Winters badly with a right hand and followed up with a right-left hook-right combination that decked Winters to the canvas for the second and final time in the fight.  Referee Rosario Solis waved off the fight at the 2:40 mark.

Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) was originally scheduled to face British contender Dereck Chisora last October but a freak spider bite led to that fight’s cancellation

“A win’s a win,” Parker said afterward. “You gotta take the win and I’ll leave it up to (promoter) Eddie (Hearn) and the team to lock up another fight soon.”

Parker scored the first knockdown of Winters (13-3, 12 KOs) late in Round 3, Winters would survive and go on to have himself a decent Round 4, in which he landed a left hook that opened up a cut over Parker’s right eye. The Illinois native also caught Parker clean with a slew of uppercuts and hooks on the inside.

But Parker would have the final say, responding emphatically in Round 5.

“I have to work on being a bit more patient and making my punches more meaningful,” Parker said.

The Kiwi heavyweight noted he is still interested in facing Chisora, who is scheduled to go up against Oleksandr Usyk later this summer, or having a rematch with Dillian Whyte.

“I want to keep busy and hopefully get two more fights this year and finish off with a bang later this year,” he said.

Jimmy Thunder, former heavyweight contender, dies at 54

Jimmy Thunder, a Samoa-born heavyweight from New Zealand who became a title contender in the 1990s, has died. He was 54.

Jimmy Thunder, a Samoa-born heavyweight from New Zealand who became a title contender in the 1990s, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 54.

Thunder, whose birth name was Ti’a James Senio Peau, reportedly died in his sleep at a hospital in Auckland after undergoing surgery to treat a brain tumor.

Thunder (35-14, 28 KOs) recorded victories over former titleholders Tony Tubbs, Trevor Berbick and Tim Witherspoon and won a few minor belts but he never fought for a major title.

His most notable accomplishment as a professional might have been his first-punch, 13-second knockout of Crawford Grimsley in 1997. He landed the knockout shot in the first few seconds of the fight.

“I was hungry,” Peau said at the time of the quick KO, according to The Associated Press. “I missed out on my lunch, and I missed out on dinner, and I was getting ready for the fight, and I walked past the buffet, and I said, ‘Damn man, I wanna go eat.’”

Thunder was a successful amateur, winning the super heavyweight gold medal in the 1986 Commonwealth Games, but was passed over when New Zealand selected its 1988 Olympic team.

He turned pro the following year and won consistently, at least until the latter part of his career. He went 4-8 – including losses to John Ruiz, Chris Byrd and Monte Barrett – in his last 12 fights before retiring in 2002.

Former heavyweight titleholder and current contender Joseph Parker, also a Samoan-Kiwi, thanked his predecessor on social media.

“Thank you for your service to our countries, both Samoa and New Zealand,” Parker said. “You, along with many other greats, some passed and some who are still with us today, paved the way for us up and coming fighters to be seen and heard on an international scale.”