DILLIAN WHYTE DEFEATS JOSEPH PARKER
London, UK (July 29th, 2018)–Dillian Whyte survived a last-round crisis to prevail unanimously on points over Joseph Parker after a thrilling finish to their heavyweight fight on Saturday.
A weary Whyte climbed off the canvas in the last minute of the 12th round to ensure he triumphed by scores of 113-112, 115-110 and 114-111 to take an important step in what he hopes is a return journey to facing Anthony Joshua.
Whyte (24-1, 17 KOs) forced two knockdowns before visiting the canvas himself in a thunderous encounter that climaxed in a brutal brawl at the O2 Arena.
“He was slick and I knew he was going to fight for the first few rounds, then come back in the final few rounds,” Whyte said.
“I am annoyed I slipped at the final hurdle in the last round. I was rocked and took a few.”
Victory boosts Whyte’s hopes of facing Joshua again after a seventh-round stoppage defeat to his English rival in December 2015, and he showed a lot of qualities against Parker (24-2, 18 KOs), including power, boxing skills, heart and stamina.
Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs), 28, is due to defend the WBA, IBF and IBF world titles against Russian Alexander Povetkin on Sept. 22 and has another date — April 13 at Wembley Stadium — already in the diary.
Perhaps Dereck Chisora, who knocked out Carlos Takam on the undercard, is another option in a rematch for Whyte. Chisora climbed onto the ring apron after the fight to challenge Whyte, and it might be a good fight in the interim if Whyte has to wait for a title shot.
Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, hope Deontay Wilder, the WBC champion from America, will be in the other corner next spring, but Whyte has made himself the likely Plan B should Wilder fail to agree to terms on a $15 million offer.
Whyte, who outpointed Joshua as an amateur before being spectacularly knocked out by his rival three years ago, lifted a couple of fringe belts with his eighth successive win but more importantly kept himself in the frame for a world title shot next year.
“I would like to fight Joshua again if he wants it,” Whyte said. “I’ve still got a lot to learn, so I would like to get one more in before him again.”
A second successive defeat for Parker, who lost the WBO world title to Joshua on points in March, casts the New Zealander further adrift from another title shot.
“I gave it my best; the better man and I will come back stronger,” Parker said.
Whyte, 30, had compiled seven wins since being stopped by Joshua, and most impressive of all was the way he dispatched Australia’s Lucas Browne by knockout last March.
The South Londoner, who moved from Jamaica at age 12, secured his high-ranking positions with the world governing bodies: No. 1 with the WBC, No. 2 with the WBO and until recently was also No. 1 with the IBF.
Parker, 26, from South Auckland who trains in Las Vegas, caused Whyte problems in the first round with his hand speed and an effective jab.
Whyte weighed in at 258 pounds, nearly a stone (14 pounds) heavier than Parker, and it looked like he might struggle with the New Zealander’s movement after an impressive opening session from Parker.
Parker looked confident again in the second round, landing a big right and a fast combination, but was then given a count after getting in a tangle with Whyte. No clean punch seemed to land and the count — the first in Parker’s professional career — looked harsh.
Parker was back into his rhythm in the third round, but Whyte unsettled him in the fourth round and was fortunate to get away with some illegal blows.
Whyte was hurt by a right hand early in the fifth round as Parker reverted back to using his jab.
But Parker became ragged in the sixth round and Whyte landed a big right uppercut before unloading successful combinations.
Whyte absorbed a big right to the head early in the seventh round and began catching Parker with single shots as the New Zealander dropped his hands in fatigue.
Whyte effectively jabbed Parker in a display of his own boxing skills in the eighth round and Parker no longer looked so confident.
And Parker was left in big trouble when Whyte detonated an explosive left hook to the jaw in the ninth round.
Parker quickly got to his feet and smiled at his corner, but he was hurt and was then given a reprieve, as Whyte did not jump on the New Zealander to try to finish him.
But after two knockdowns, Whyte was in firm control of the fight and again employed his jab to good use in the 10th round.
But this brilliant battle was still in the balance in the 11th and final rounds as Parker went for the KO — and came close to landing it.
Whyte was on unsteady legs late in the 11th and through the 12th as Parker launched vicious attacks. Eventually Whyte succumbed and crumpled to the canvas in the last minute after being caught by a right to the top of the head.
Whyte hauled himself up and the bell was not far away to save him.
CHISORA STOPS TAKAM IN 8
By ESPN Boxing
LONDON — Dereck Chisora took care of business against Carlos Takam on Saturday much faster than heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua managed in October.
Chisora provided another surprise twist in his entertaining career with a brilliant, eighth-round knockout against Takam, who lasted 10 rounds against Joshua.
Takam looked to be heading toward a points victory over Chisora, who absorbed considerable punishment before finding the strength to land two big right hands that twice floored Takam.
France-based Takam, 37, who stepped in at short notice against Joshua and lasted longer than expected, pummelled Chisora on the ropes for much of the fight.
Chisora, however, turned the fight in dramatic fashion with two seismic right hands that sent Takam to the canvas.
“I definitely want the winner of the main event,” Chisora said ahead of the fight between London rival Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker.
“Takam is tough. I realized I couldn’t trade with him toe-to-toe. I knew the overhand right could catch him. In that round, I knew it was time to send it home.”
Zimbabwe-born Chisora, who has lived in north London since childhood, is consistently inconsistent, capable of taking Vitali Klitschko to points in a valiant WBC world heavyweight title bid in 2012 but then flopping in domestic fights against David Haye and Tyson Fury.
More recently, Chisora (29-8, 21 KOs) was impressive in a thrilling points loss to Whyte in December 2016 but lost three of his past six fights before taking on Takam.
Chisora looked like he was heading to another defeat in the first round after taking a terrible beating.
Takam (35-5-1, 27 KOs), who was born in Cameroon, snapped back Chisora’s head with a right uppercut and spent most of the round unloading clubbing hooks while Chisora sat on the ropes near his corner.
But this fight had many twists and turns, and the 34-year-old Chisora started the second round more positively before the pair did not hold back as they exchanged big hooks.
Takam was more active, and Chisora once again was content to absorb blows on the ropes in the fifth round.
A right sent Chisora crashing against the ropes in the sixth amid intense pressure, but the Londoner quickly recovered and rallied to finish the round on the attack.
Chisora was being outpunched and dominated, but it did not matter when he landed a big overhand right to the top of the head that floored Takam in the eighth.
Takam was still dazed when he got to his feet, and he was quickly returned to the canvas by a right to the jaw.
Katie Taylor d. Kimberly Connor, KO 3
In another fight on the undercard, Katie Taylor retained her WBA and IBF world lightweight titles by overwhelming Kimberly Connor in the third round.
Connor was left wobbling from a right to the jaw after a blizzard of fast punches rained down on the American.
“I happened to catch [Connor] with a good shot, stayed composed and then got a good finish,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who made a first defense of the IBF belt and third of the WBA title, wants to unify all four world titles. Belgium’s Delfine Persoon (41-1, 16 KOs) is the WBC titleholder while Brazil’s Rose Volante (13-0, 7 KOs) is the WBO champ.
Said the 32-year-old Taylor: “I’ve got two belts — two more to go.”
Taylor (10-0, 5 KOs), from Bray, Ireland, and training in Connecticut, once again showed that her skills and fast hands make her one of the standout stars in women’s professional boxing.
The 37-year-old Connor (13-4-2, 5 KOs), who is from Little Rock, Arkansas, hadn’t fought for a year, but she briefly gave Taylor something to think about early in the third round.
After being caught by a stiff right hand, Taylor responded by landing a series of combinations and hooks. The Irishwoman, who won gold at the 2012 Olympics, chased Connor relentlessly around the ring, and two jolting rights hands turned the American’s legs to jelly.
Taylor will next face former WBO world featherweight champion Cindy Serrano (27-5-3, 10 KOs) on Oct. 6 in Chicago. That will be Taylor’s fifth fight in a year, and Serrano, a Brooklyn-based fighter from Puerto Rico, can be expected to be a harder test than Connor.
Joshua Buatsi d. Andrejs Pokumeiko, KO 1
In another fight, light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi (7-0, 5 KOs), the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, knocked out late-replacement Andrejs Pokumeiko (17-15-1, 13 KOs) in the first round after a furiously fast start.
Buatsi, 25, who was born in Ghana but has lived in south London since childhood, finished off his Latvian opponent in 1 minute, 56 seconds. Buatsi’s punches were too fast, and Pokumeiko was floored for a second time by a perfectly delivered left hook.
Conor Benn d. Cedrick Peynaud, 10-round unanimous decision
Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs), the son of former world middleweight and super-middleweight champion Nigel Benn, did a better job on Cedrick Peynaud the second time around in a 10-round welterweight contest.
After beating Peynaud on points in a December fight in which he was twice floored in the first round, the 21-year-old Benn unanimously outpointed the Frenchman on Saturday by scores of 98-90, 98-91 and 97-90 that were a bit generous for the Englishman in a rematch that was difficult at times.
Benn, who grew up in Spain and Australia but is now based in England, had another shaky first round against Peynaud (6-6-3, 4 KOs) when he was caught a couple of times.
Benn profited from Peynaud being harshly given a count at the start of the second round after stumbling following a missed punch.
Benn was caught by a flurry of hooks in the third round, but he was much tidier from the fifth. The English boxer dropped Peynaud for a count with a body shot in the seventh round.
Peynaud was given another count in the ninth, but Benn was not totally dominant and remained open to getting hit.
Benn, who had never been 10 rounds before, was exhausted and in trouble again in the last round, but he earned the verdict.
David Allen d. Nick Webb, KO 4
David Allen was heading for defeat when he threw a big looping right hand that knocked out rival English heavyweight Nick Webb in the fourth round.
Webb (12-1, 10 KOs) was left with his chin resting against the bottom rope after an entertaining encounter.
Allen (14-4-2, 10 KOs), 26, from Doncaster, was stopped by France’s Tony Yoka, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, in the 10th round last month, but this win in a British title eliminator breathes new life into his career.
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