BoxRec

tigermoth87 wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 22:56 Pathetic

Blatant robbery. Foster had to be the worst and most bias ref in boxing. He should have lost his job the time he helped a semi conscious Cleverly back to his corner.

If I was a foreign boxer fighting a Brit, I'd refuse if he was given the spot.

Wasn't that Terry O'Connor ?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:35

What Howard needs is a bit of CBD, he'll be a cracking ref in no time

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 23:20

tigermoth87 wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 22:56 Pathetic

Blatant robbery. Foster had to be the worst and most bias ref in boxing. He should have lost his job the time he helped a semi conscious Cleverly back to his corner.

If I was a foreign boxer fighting a Brit, I'd refuse if he was given the spot.

Wasn't that Terry O'Connor ?

It was. But Foster has had some shockers.

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 23:14

gilgamesh wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 20:57

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:38
No not another pointless rematch please, Wardley has much bigger fish to fry

How is it pointless? It was one of the best Heavyweight fights in a long time, and had a controversial finish.

You're right it was a quality fight but looking at it from Fabio's perspective he can now either have a shot at previously unimaginable glory against Usyk or earn a massive amount of money in fights against AJ or Dubois or even Fury.

Parker brings nothing close to that to the table

I definitely think he should go for the Usyk opportunity first no doubt, but Parker for his 1st title defense or a Parker rematch should he lose to Usyk would surely be fine bouts.

I wouldn't hate Wardley vs Dubois or AJ either though, so I won't argue with that.

Hope Parker had a rematch clause for that.

Just caught the highlights.
I thought Parker was meant to win easily?
Never saw that myself, controversial stoppage or not he's lost a fair few times now and don't understand why he was such a heavy favourite, also don't think the weight suited him .
Congratulations to Fabio.
The card what I saw of it was off the scale shockingly bad .

Wardley vs Dubois would be the pick for me as an entertaining fight.

gregregegg wrote: ↑26 Oct 2025, 02:13 Hope Parker had a rematch clause for that.

I don't recall ever seeing a rematch clause in place with a non title fight.

Usyk wouldnt have many easier nights work than fighting Wardley.

Controversial wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:23

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:11

Controversial wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:09 Blimey wasn’t expecting that, was only listening on the radio but seems people think it was an bad stoppage, will look for a clip

Thanks. Yeah on first watch seems a bad stoppage to me, Parker was covering up and threw back near end. Easy to be an armchair critic though. If the tables were turned I doubt Parker would say it was stopped early.

It’s easy it get caught up in the furore as it is Howard fornicating Foster and it was a great fight that you didn’t want to end like that, but watching that Parker wasn’t throwing back and was taking a lot of punishment. It is not an indefensible stoppage and it shouldn’t detract from Fabio’s victory. The bloke is absolutely nails.

Stoppages like this prevent fighters from brain injury. Congrats to Wardley, this is huge W

rd350lc wrote: ↑26 Oct 2025, 02:21 Just caught the highlights.
I thought Parker was meant to win easily?
Never saw that myself, controversial stoppage or not he's lost a fair few times now and don't understand why he was such a heavy favourite, also don't think the weight suited him .
Congratulations to Fabio.
The card what I saw of it was off the scale shockingly bad .

I thought they'd gone Kronk like they did with Fury. and Joe started off more aggressive than he normally does. the second round hit when he spat out his gum shield probably made him more careful

Was reading this RBR before i went to bed last nighg so was expecting a dreadful stoppage. Just watched the fight this morning, wasnt even that bad. Parker was taking some punishment, Wardley could have made it cleaner, was rushing and smothering but i think parker would have went.

Seemed a fair stoppage from what I've seen today. Usual suspects trying to ride the algorithm with fake outrage by the looks of it.

I wonder how many people paid for that fight? 50k?

I had no issue with the stoppage. People just like to complain and follow the leader. I also had the fight even, 5-5, at the time of the stoppage, but could easily see 6-4 for Parker. Great fight, both men took a huge risk. Nice victory for Wardley.....

Kilburn wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:23

Ricky wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:14

Kilburn wrote: ↑25 Oct 2025, 19:12 If you believe Wardley was going to fizzle out and give up the attack then I could well understand the gripe.

Personally I don’t think Parker was getting let off the hook there. He looked pretty much done, and Wardley looked like he could keep on going with bombs.

Look at Wardleys arms, there's nothing in any of those shots. He hurt Parker about 40 seconds prior to that then punches himself out.

However you view those end punches from Wardley, Parker was clearly spent, with no answer for the first time in a long draining battle.

The fight should have continued for longer but it doesn’t take a genius to see what would happen.

Wardley was spent aswell, they were both absolutely knackered.

fair stoppage. its the point where Parker just sags back into the ropes

we all need to let our little mantrums out from time to time, and sport gives us so many opportunities

Fabio is obviously up against it against an ATG in Usyk although he has a chance of sorts due to having elite punching power. If he can get anywhere near him, attacking the body might be his best chance.

Just watched the post fight press conference. I know it’s not a very original thing to stay but Parker seems great guy. No bitterness or self-pity at all.

Parker has already been world champ. He achieved it. I guess that affords him the opportunity to be a little calmer about losing. He knows Usyk would beat him so its just the payday hes missing out on, and i think he'll still get them regardless.

JOSEPH PARKER RULES OUT RETIREMENT, REFUSES TO CRITICISE REF FOR STOPPAGE

Joseph Parker has vowed to box on in the wake of his crushing defeat to Fabio Wardley at o2 Arena.

Parker was leading on two of the three cards and seemed to be on his way to victory when the undefeated Englishman stopped him at 1:54 of the 11th round.

Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) can now look forward to fighting undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk for all the belts in the New Year while Parker (36-4, 24 KOs) will have to regroup after suffering his first defeat since September 2022.

Parker, 33, declared around an hour after referee Howard Foster waved off the fight that he has no intention of retiring from the sport.

“Listen, it sucks losing a fight," Parker said In a side room in the bowels of the arena. "I won’t sit here and pretend I’m all happy, but life goes on. Boxing is part of what I do, but I’m very blessed with a wife, kids and a happy family.

“I want to go back to them, regroup and see what’s next, but it does suck. I’m going to continue to go on. This is just a bump in the road, and I’m still going to carry on. I felt good out there. I still have the fire in me, it still burns, and I guess I have to show that in the next fight.

“Otherwise, if it doesn’t go my way again, then it will be very difficult.”

While Wardley pushes on toward a shot at the titles, Parker will have to rebuild much like he did after he lost back-to-back fights against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte in 2018, and was stopped by Joe Joyce in 2022.

His promoter allegedly said: “Whatever you want to do, we are 100 percent with you. We will sit down and work it out. You’re with us, and you know that.”

Parker was stopped on his feet as Wardley trapped him against the ropes and began to unload. There were some suggestions that Foster’s decision to step in and end the fight was premature, but Parker refused to complain about the stoppage.

“At the end of the fight, I thought I was fine," he said, "but I’m not the one reffing the fight. I thought I was doing well in the fight, but I got caught, and that’s boxing. I wanted to carry on, of course.

“I’m good. Congratulations to Fabio Wardley. He’s a warrior, he’s a tough man. Hopefully we can have a rematch.”

gilgamesh wrote: ↑26 Oct 2025, 02:55

gregregegg wrote: ↑26 Oct 2025, 02:13 Hope Parker had a rematch clause for that.

I don't recall ever seeing a rematch clause in place with a non title fight.

Aj will have had one. He probably insists on one when he plays his friends on the PlayStation. Whether he enforces them are not are a different matter...

didnt see it live but just watched the stoppage and see absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. parker wasnt throwing back and sagged. amazing from wardley considering his limited experience.

Quick stoppage for me. Parker was well up on the cards. Wardley was blowing his load there. There is no way he could have kept up that barrage much longer. Parker was hurt by he wasn't down. He definitely should have taken a knee and has the experience to have done that so that was a bad move not taking a knee. The stoppage was too quick though. You need more damage. This is for the right to fight for the undisputed title, the holy grail of human combat sports. Foster was way too quick. Yes Parker was hurt and taking damage but he still had his faculties. Wardley was missing a lot, he even misses the final combo he throws before Foster steps in.