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| Mark Robinson/Matchroom |
Joseph Parker dominated Deontay Wilder on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, en route to the major upset in a battle of former heavyweight champions.
New Zealand's Parker prevailed via scores of 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108.
Wilder entered the bout as a -700 favorite, per ESPN BET, and did so with a deal in place to meet Anthony Joshua on March 9 in Riyadh, sources said. That agreement was contingent on Wilder and Joshua both winning.
Parker's victory over Wilder, which spoils those plans, was the co-feature to Joshua vs. Otto Wallin.
"Coming into this fight, everyone had other plans, but this is God's plan," said Parker, ESPN's No. 8 heavyweight. "Today, what a win. Merry Christmas to us."
Parker's strategy was a wise one: to avoid Wilder's dangerous right hand while forcing him to respect his foe's power. Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) timed Wilder early and often with looping right hands over the top.
The game plan seemingly made Wilder reluctant to unload his trademark reckless right hand that always finds its mark. But at 38 years old and with only one round of activity since November 2021, the American fighter admitted his "timing was off a little bit."
