JOSEPH PARKER has beaten Junior Fa on points in the BIGGEST fight in New Zealand history.
The sold-out Spark Arena in Auckland witnessed a gruelling bout that was far closer than many had predicted.
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HONEST JOE
Winner Parker says: “It was a great night.
“They came here to fight and it was a lot closer than expected.
“Fa put on a great performance and we have to go back and work on a lot of things.
“It just showed the ring rust you can end up with after a year out.”
PARK THE CELEBRATIONS
Jospeh Parker did not look happy with his perfirmance and seemed to expect a loss.
Fa says: “I loved the fight.
“I try to be a role model and I hope I influence people to be kind.
“That was a tough fight, all credit to Joe. I learned a great lesson but I did not caught with too many punches.”
PARKER WINS
The three ringside judges had their work cut out but called it a landslide: 109-119, 113-115 and 111-117.
Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry admitted in the interval that it was a “close fight”.
The commentators are not happy.
ROUND TWELVE
Parker seems to have lost his cutting edge, not just in this fight but in his career.
Fa has done the better point-scoring boxing.
But Parker has marched constantly forward looking for a finish.
The Kiwi grudge fight goes the distance…
ROUND TWELVE
Barry tells Parker to aim his right hand to Fa’s body in the last round.
The crowd suddenly starts chanting for “Junior, Junior”.
Fa lands with uppercuts after a clinch, Parker dips into another one.
ROUND ELEVEN
Parker lands again with Fa backed up on the ropes.
Another left hook from the former world champ scores.
Fa is trying to counter but his reflexes are not as sharp after 33 minutes of battle.
Bell goes.
ROUND ELEVEN
Parker’s early punches are wild and miss.
Both men are tired now and rutting like stags, Fa’s fancy footwork seems a distant memory.
Fa is tagged by a Parker piledriver but his whiskers are firm.
ROUND TEN
The whole left side of Fa’s face is covered in blood now and he will be distracted.
But Parker has to walk through another power punch from Fa just before the bell.
Fa’s corner tell him to watch for Parker dropping his left and then throw his right.
ROUND TEN
Parker struggles with an early attack and Parker is going to target his eye by any means necessary.
Fa connects with a flurry but none are flush on Parker’s chin.
The quality has dipped now but one big punch could change it all.
Fa is bleeding all over Parker’s shoulder when they clinch .
ROUND NINE
Fa’s cut eye has opened up now and a trickle of bright red blood is slipping down his left cheek.
The corner finally has a fresh white towel to mop up the claret but Fa’s chest is smeared with red from the wound.
Fa could crumble under the stress of the cut…
ROUND NINE
Fa appears to be wilting in the championship rounds now.
Parker is no stranger to deep water and should have the better engine.
Fa throws a one-two but Parker’s guard absorbs it.
ROUND EIGHT
Fa is more accurate and considered with his punches.
But only Parker looks to have the power to end this fight early.
Parker lands another right hand but Fa has a chin.
Fa lands a right but Parker rolls with the blowand takes away the sting.
Bell goes.
ROUND EIGHT
Parker’s trainer again tells his man to work Fa’s body and he reckons Parker won the seventh easily.
The gash on Fa’s left eye does not look serious so he should cope without a towel.
Parker throws a monsterous right hand that skims Fa’s face.
ROUND SEVEN
Parker scores with a right hand but Fa swallows it.
Fa dips to his right and Parker lands a left hook.
Good round for the former WBO king.
Another long looping right hand crashes into Fa but he walks back to his corner seeming unharmed.
ROUND SEVEN
Parker absorbed a worrying amount of shots in the sixth but Fa has a cut over his left eye and his trainer only has his t-shirt to stem the bleeding!
Farcical corner work in the biggest fight of Fa’s career – no towel to mop up a bleeding gash around his eye.
If Parker can smell the blood – and panic – he could get this done inside the distance.
ROUND SIX
Fa lands a right hand instantly and seems to surprise Parker.
Rock-hard Parker recovers and he slashes hooks into Fa’s body.
Barry pleads with Parker to start his attacks with a jab.
Fa seems to hurt Parker again with a right hand but Parker was not even floored by Anthony Joshua.
ROUND FIVE
Parker lands a sharp left hook when Fa dips down with a body shot.
Fa is not looking for big punches but he is hardly doing enough to impress the judges.
Fa stands up through another break while Barry tells Parker not to get caught again in the clinch.
ROUND FIVE
Barry tells Parker to target Fa’s body and as, he is the taller man, he should land there.
Fa bounces off the ropes and almost straight on to a vicious left hook.
Parker is looking for the power punches and Fa is hitting and holding to spoil that tactic.
ROUND FOUR
Parker really is trying to whack the moustache off of Fa with every shot.
Fa is using his speed and skill to make him miss but will the judges admire that skill?
The session ends with the commentators fancying Parker has a 3-1 lead.
ROUND FOUR
Fa cleverly turns a jab into a little left hook.
Parker misses with a wild right hand, launched from about eight foot away.
Fa drives another right hand to Parkers torso.
Nail-biting fight so far…
ROUND THREE
If Parker lands one of these looping shots we will see how tough Fa is.
Big right hook from Parker catches Fa on the chin so the underdog holds and smothers Parker’s punches.
Fa retaliates with a right that gets the crowd whooping and cheering.
Parker needs to use his jab to cut the distance down before launching attacks. Bell goes.
ROUND THREE
Kevin Barry, Parker’s trainer, just told him he did beautiful work in the second.
Fa didn’t even sit down during the break and starts the third with a precise combination.
Parker tries to throw a right haymaker but Fa evades it nicely.
ROUND TWO
Fa lands a right hook to Parker’s body, sneaking it under the elbow.
Parker carrrying his lead left hand lowbut Fa has not punished it yet.
Parker is holding the centre of the ring but Fa is having more success with his constant jab.
Round ends – tight one.
ROUND TWO
Parker rocked by a left hook right on the end of that opening round.
Fa might have snatched that stanza with the last punch of the round?
Parker has a tough night getting past Fa’s long lead hand always poked into his face.
ROUND ONE
Fa is the taller and heavier man but he is the mover already.
KO artist Parker is stalking and looking for a big blow.
It gets a little spicy in the clinch with rabbit punches.
Parker throws a looping left hook that gets the crowd going early.
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