Riyadh (Reuters) – Joseph Parker of New Zealand achieved a surprising upset victory over former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday, winning a unanimous decision in an impressive display of skill.
After a cautious start, both boxers landed powerful right hands in the fourth round, but Parker maintained control of the fight, dominating the center of the ring and connecting with jabs and occasional power shots to earn points.
Fighting for the first time in over a year, 38-year-old Wilder struggled to land his trademark power punches, and instead found himself being pummeled by Parker in the corner towards the end of the eighth round, almost prompting a stoppage.
Despite the onslaught, American Wilder was notably slowed down, but Parker, who held the WBO heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018, continued to display his clever boxing skills.
The three judges scored the fight 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108 in favor of the 31-year-old Kiwi, shattering Wilder’s hopes of fighting for another world title.
Earlier in the evening, Dmitry Bivol dominated Lyndon Arthur to retain the WBA and IBO light heavyweight world titles via unanimous decision, while Daniel Dubois secured a 10th-round knockout victory over Jarrell Miller in their heavyweight contest.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor)
