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| Joseph Parker, right, has rebounded from his 2022 knockout loss to Joe Joyce with victories over top-five heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images |
Joseph Parker was floored twice by Zhilei Zhang but otherwise outboxed his foe for large stretches of the heavyweight fight to earn a majority-decision victory on Friday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
One judge scored it 113-113 but was overruled by 114-112 and 115-111 tallies for Parker, who upset Deontay Wilder via decision in December. The victory over Zhang is Parker's second consecutive over a heavyweight rated in ESPN's top five and completes a shocking turnaround for the 32-year-old New Zealander.
Parker, a former heavyweight titleholder, was brutally knocked out by Joe Joyce in Round 11 of their September 2022 meeting and was practically written off as a heavyweight contender.
But following three wins over domestic-level opposition last year, Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) punctuated the campaign with a dominant victory over Wilder in a major upset. And now, Parker is positioned for another crack at a heavyweight title on the heels of another upset win.
"This is a great win," said Parker, who entered the ring rated No. 4 by ESPN at heavyweight. "Zhang is a tough man, knocked me down twice. ... I'm very happy. .... We have a rematch [clause], so we're gonna do it again."
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) dropped Parker in Round 3 after a straight left hand connected flush. Parker, 32, beat the count with a bloody and busted up nose and then continued to outbox the 40-year-old China native.
Parker consistently beat Zhang to the punch with his superior speed and mobility. Zhang weighed 291½ pounds while Parker was 247½. And while there was far more pop behind Zhang's shots, there wasn't nearly enough activity.
That was until Zhang caught Parker again, this time with a sharp right hook that produced the knockdown in Round 8. But Parker again rose to the canvas with a clear head and returned to his jab and movement.
Parker was able to split Zhang's guard with quick one-twos and used his feet to circle around the southpaw. And as Zhang sat on the stool before Round 12, his corner instructed him to score another knockdown. Instead, Zhang landed zero punches in the final round.
Zhang, though, will be afforded another crack at Parker due to the rematch clause. ESPN's No. 5 heavyweight, Zhang's previous loss was a controversial decision defeat to contender Filip Hrgovic in 2022, another bout where he scored a knockdown in defeat.
Following the setback, Zhang scored back-to-back inside-the-distance wins over Joyce, including a spectacular third-round KO in the September rematch. The pair of wins solidified Zhang as ESPN's No. 5 heavyweight, and he was favored to defeat Parker, too.
Instead, it's Parker who is now regarded as the best heavyweight after Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
Parker won a heavyweight title in 2016 when he scored a majority-decision win over Andy Ruiz. Parker made two successful defenses before he dropped the belt to Joshua via decision in 2018.
Parker lost his next fight, too, a decision setback to Dillian Whyte that seemed to end any hope of a future title shot. But now, Parker is well-positioned while the trio of top heavyweights settle bragging rights as he looks toward another bout with Zhang.
Ball floors Vargas twice but settles for draw
Rey Vargas had to get off the canvas twice to hold on to the WBC featherweight world title after his fight with Nick Ball was scored a split draw.
Ball overcame an 8½-inch height disadvantage to drop Vargas in Rounds 8 and 11, but it was not enough to win his first world title.
Vargas, who was walked to the ring by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, held on to the belt in his first defense after scores of 114-112 for Vargas, 116-110 for Ball and 113-113.
