Spoiler : Parker vs Joshua

[gilgamesh]

You realize you are in the minority on this don't you? Or are you an AJ fan that just doesn't want to face that fight win or lose? I'm just sick of the ducking.

I'd definitely rather see them just go straight to Wilder vs AJ, but if the next card was Wilder/Whyte and Joshua/Povetkin I certainly wouldn't be upset about it.

If someone can set that up as a mini-robbin, I'm in. Guarantee the fight happens and I'm good. But I'm doubtful.

If the two bouts were on the same card there'd be absolutely no doubt that the intention was for the winners to meet up next. I doubt they'd do that though because they'd have 2 big gates and events there so they wouldn't want to put them together on the same night.

[oogiebe]

I'd definitely rather see them just go straight to Wilder vs AJ, but if the next card was Wilder/Whyte and Joshua/Povetkin I certainly wouldn't be upset about it.

If someone can set that up as a mini-robbin, I'm in. Guarantee the fight happens and I'm good. But I'm doubtful.

If the two bouts were on the same card there'd be absolutely no doubt that the intention was for the winners to meet up next. I doubt they'd do that though because they'd have 2 big gates and events there so they wouldn't want to put them together on the same night.

Yes...but...if they are on the same card. I would drop my cheap protest and buy the PPV (which I figure is how the fight will be aired).

[gregregegg]

Ref changed the entire fight by taking any work on the inside out, this let the bigger taller AJ just work off the jab and took away any chance of him gassing out. that being said AJ clearly won but not as wide as the judges, mabey 116-112.
Parker did well hope he fights a noone next, gets a nice highlight KO and then gets strait back to fighting top 10 opponents and back in the world tittle conversation.

[oogiebe]

Ref changed the entire fight by taking any work on the inside out, this let the bigger taller AJ just work off the jab and took away any chance of him gassing out. that being said AJ clearly won but not as wide as the judges, mabey 116-112.
Parker did well hope he fights a noone next, gets a nice highlight KO and then gets strait back to fighting top 10 opponents and back in the world tittle conversation.

Perfect. That ref really had way too much air time tonight.

[candyslim]

F... me it's 06:30 a.m. I come down here intending to post my thoughts on the fight and I've no idea where to post. There's no "match thread" as there is on my favourite football forum but I count at least nine, yes nine frigging threads that look like they are about the fight. What a shambles. I pick this one which appears to be the longest. I've avoided reading anything else so as not to be influenced:

Firstly my immediate emotion is relief that Joshua didn't lose. I watched "The gloves are off" only yesterday and i was alarmed at how AJ seemed to have allowed Parker to get inside his head. There was no "like fukc you are" response when Parker answered AJ's question "Yes, I'm going to knock you out" just a thoughtful silence.

The fight itself was frustrating. Apart from the irritating referee breaking them up anytime they got within two feet of each other, the bell seemed to sound for end of the round every time it looked like getting interesting. It seemed like the rounds were only a minute long.

Joshua won clearly enough, never looked in trouble, never looked in danger of gassing out (hardly surprising perhaps) and used his physical advantages to get the job done efficiently and without taking any risk. Commendable enough in it's way I suppose but I just felt AJ gave Parker way too much respect.

Before the fight Team Parker were banging on about his great chin and I'm thinking "Wait until you get in the ring with with Joshua and then we'll see how good your chin is" Well now he has and AJ never really tested it. In fairness it look pretty reliable.

Parker hasn't lost any of my respect, if anything I hold him in higher regard. I had him in the top 6 largely because he held a portion of the world title. Now I have him top 6, maybe even third - on merit.

It wasn't an awful fight by any means and I guess you have to credit AJ for how he commanded centre ring and imposed himself pressuring Parker by denying him space to move, very much how a chess-master sets out to smother his opponent's position.

Having said that the performance felt deeply unsatisfying. I'm sure I'm being unreasonable in my expectations. Now I'm going to read what others thought.

[chuck9788]

even if Mills Lane came back to ref from the dead.

Eighty year old HOF referee Mills Lane is not dead.

[Tony1244]

The ref was a joke.

I had it 119-109 Joshua.

2 rounds nothing happened so I scored them even. Probably the fault of the worst referee I have ever seen.

How could you have it so wide, AND say the ref was bad? The ref being bad is the reason Parker didn't at least get 3 points deducted from Joshua's illegal hitting. At least 4 times he held Parker by the back of the head, and delivered an uppercut.

Is everyone here blind, or didn't notice it because your favorite fighter was delivering the illegal punches?

Some rounds like 1, 2, and 6 were very close but I thought Joshua did a little more in those rounds. If a fighter has one hand free he should use it. The ref should only break if no one is punching at all. Yes, the ref could have warned Joshua for holding but the ref was terrible across the boards.

I wouldn't say Joshua is my favorite fighter. Parker gave a proud performance. Only the ref was a bad joke.

[caldo2025]

The ref’s comedy show is a likely scapegoat for what was going to be a putrid fight even if Mills Lane came back to ref from the dead.

AJ doesn’t know how to enforce his will yet and Wilder is closer to finding it. So AJ’s tapdance with the Wilder questions were tactical. He’s not ready. Wilder knocks him out if they fight this year.

Wilder is closer to finding it by getting outboxed and almost KO'd by fatboy, old as dirt Ortiz. Yeah, I'm sure Wilder has been imposing his will lately.

Wilder would've lost wide to Parker if he was in that ring. Parker would've Szpilka'd him for 12 rounds without getting caught.

Well, you're the reigning clown of 2018, Mexi-Box. This post does nothing but help your odds of hoisting the trophy come year end. Let me help you understand some boxing terms ok. Let me know what other terms you can't understand and I'll just email the definitions over to ya when i have some time.

Enforcing your will: When a clearly more talented fighter finds a way to knockout a less talented fighter who shouldn't make it 12 rounds.

Parker spent 12 rounds playing tag with AJ and didn't throw anything significant at AJ. The GREAT fighters, catch up to those fighters just trying to make it through the fight and find a way to close them out. Wilder has a better feel for it then AJ. Wilder gets to a point in the fight, no mater how badly he looks up until then and he ends it. It may end with some windmill punches and a crazy looking attack but he ends it. ENDS IT.

Parker is awful and he should have been stopped by AJ. That was a very poor performance by the champion.

[SteveO]

I had it 117-111 AJ. Parker acquitted himself well.

Same here.
I totally agree with other posters - the referee was atrocious. He spoiled the fight.

[jujigatame]

I think Parker/Whyte would be a nice, evenly matched fight that would put the winner back in contention for a title shot.

Also tend to agree that anything but Joshua/Wilder next is a waste of time. Don't want to see these guys go way past their primes before they fight, like Mayweather and Pacquiao did.

The HW division is in a dire state in general. There is zero quality outside the top 10. Hell, Adamek is still in the BoxRec top 20 which is nuts.

[SenorPipino]

I want Joshua-Wilder to marinate a while longer.

Let them build up their names and feast on the Povetkins, Whytes, Breazeles and Millers for a spell.

Let Joshua come to the US for several bouts so the mainstream public knows who he is before tangling with Wilder.

Put Wilder in there with some aggressive fighters who will guarantee an exciting, eye catching performance from the WBC champ, as happened with Ortiz.

No Gerald Washingtons.

And let them both get a little more experience under their belts. Many in the boxing community consider both Joshua and Wilder to still be green.

Let them be at their peak, maybe 18 months from now, before they face one another.

[Heretic]

Anyone going to fight Joshua should be prepared to face 5 opponents. Referee was awful and the judges scores were way too wide.

I had Joshua winning clearly on points but there were some rounds that should have gone to Parker. Neither did much in this one.

Parker was on sparring partner mentality for most of the fight. I guess he felt Joshua's power and decided not to go in guns blazing. He seemed content to loose on points. Well I did make few bucks in the over rounds bet so I guess I can't complain too much

Parker is level or two behind Joshua at this point... But so is pretty much everyone else in the division. Parker is still solid top 5 type of boxer.

I don't really understand people who call Joshua's performance somehow bad. He cruised into easy points win against credible opponent. He was never in any kind of trouble and hes biggest weakness in stamina is not a problem in this kind of fight. Superb showing from him.

I hope Parker gets back soon. There are many good opponents for him to climb back to the top.

Parker vs Whyte would be a great match

[Heretic]

Wilder and the rest of us only want one fight...Wilder/Joshua. Everything else is poo.

Nah, I want to see Wilder/Whyte and Joshua/Povetkin. Povetkin is still the #2 HW in the world for me.

You realize you are in the minority on this don't you? Or are you an AJ fan that just doesn't want to face that fight win or lose? I'm just sick of the ducking.

I guess I am in the same minority too.

Wilder's resume is still thinner than average toilet paper.

[Badhusker]

The ref was a joke.

I had it 119-109 Joshua.

2 rounds nothing happened so I scored them even. Probably the fault of the worst referee I have ever seen.

How could you have it so wide, AND say the ref was bad? The ref being bad is the reason Parker didn't at least get 3 points deducted from Joshua's illegal hitting. At least 4 times he held Parker by the back of the head, and delivered an uppercut.

Is everyone here blind, or didn't notice it because your favorite fighter was delivering the illegal punches?

Some rounds like 1, 2, and 6 were very close but I thought Joshua did a little more in those rounds. If a fighter has one hand free he should use it. The ref should only break if no one is punching at all. Yes, the ref could have warned Joshua for holding but the ref was terrible across the boards.

I wouldn't say Joshua is my favorite fighter. Parker gave a proud performance. Only the ref was a bad joke.

I'm curious......did you notice the illegal punches when Joshua held Parker by the back of the head? It was so obvious, and pathetic so many act like they didn't notice.

Also, just look at round one. Parker was the only one that did anything. Everyone gave it to Joshua. No way he deserved it, or any of the first 3.

[Tony1244]

How could you have it so wide, AND say the ref was bad? The ref being bad is the reason Parker didn't at least get 3 points deducted from Joshua's illegal hitting. At least 4 times he held Parker by the back of the head, and delivered an uppercut.

Is everyone here blind, or didn't notice it because your favorite fighter was delivering the illegal punches?

Some rounds like 1, 2, and 6 were very close but I thought Joshua did a little more in those rounds. If a fighter has one hand free he should use it. The ref should only break if no one is punching at all. Yes, the ref could have warned Joshua for holding but the ref was terrible across the boards.

I wouldn't say Joshua is my favorite fighter. Parker gave a proud performance. Only the ref was a bad joke.

I'm curious......did you notice the illegal punches when Joshua held Parker by the back of the head? It was so obvious, and pathetic so many act like they didn't notice.

Also, just look at round one. Parker was the only one that did anything. Everyone gave it to Joshua. No way he deserved it, or any of the first 3.

I've seen refs allow and not allow holding and hitting. But I think this ref was particularly bad because he kept breaking the action like he was a teacher breaking up a fight between kids. He did let AJ get away with holding and hitting.

I thought the first few rounds were close as were many of the rounds. I'm use to biased judges and refs, but honestly the breaking up of any action that looked interesting annoyed me more.