Former Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker survived a opening seconds knockdown to comeback and win s 12-round split decision over Derek Chisora at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Chisora floored Parker in the opening 10 seconds when he landed an overhand right to the top of the head. The fight had some good back and forth moments and some sloppy moments, but it was an entertaining scrap that saw each have some good moments throughout the fight.
Chisora landed 245 of 613 punches; Parker was 181 of 593.
Parker, 241,2 lbs of Auckland, NZ won by scores of 116-111 and 115-113. Chisora took a card 115-113.
Parker is 29-2. Chisora, 250.8 lbs of Finchley, ENG is 32-11.
“I am feeling it,” Parker told Matchroom. “Derek landed a lot of shots on me. I’ll probably feel it more tomorrow. The plan was to come out and box smartly and stay focused. I got caught right at the beginning. I think it was round the back of the head, I didn’t see it.
“The plan was to box and move and be smart. With the guidance of Andy I was able to box. We didn’t have the longest time together. I know I needed a lot of work. I need to keep learning from Andy and practicing the things we work on in the gym.
“It was a tough fight and I got caught right at the beginning. I just had to dig deep and stay focused and follow the plan that we had in place. Swayed off a bit, but Derek is a very tough opponent. He came forward, put pressure on me from the beginning. Threw big bombs and landed a lot.
“The boxing skills won me some rounds towards the end. It was a very close fight. I thought it could go either way, and I’m very thankful and blessed to get the win today. He brought the smoke. If you want to feel it, jump in the ring with him.
“It’s very achievable [World Title fight]. I just have to get back to the training. There’s a lot of things I have to work on. I had a good plan in place. There’s still a lot I can show, I just have to keep working with Andy, and more camps ahead. We could do it next fight.”
Taylor wins narrow decision over Jonas; Retains Undisputed Lightweight Title
.Katie Taylor retained her undisputed lightweight world titles with a close unanimous decision over Natasha Jonas in a battle of Olympians.
Taylor, 134.8 lbs of Bray, IRE won by scores of 96-94 and 96-95 twice and is now 18-0. Jonas, 134.7 lbs of Liverpool, UK is 9-2.
“Again, it was probably a bit too exciting for my liking,” Taylor told Matchroom. “It was definitely a toe to toe battle in there. I thought I was a bit flat early on, but I dug deep to win the championship rounds. I definitely showed the heart of a champion in there and that’s what won me the fight in the end.
“She showed everything it takes to win a World Title in her last two performances. Tonight was a brilliant showcase for women’s boxing and boxing overall. Every time we fought as amateurs it was that type of fight as well. I’d prepared for a hard ten-round battle tonight and that’s exactly what it was.
“Eddie was saying that fight would have brought the PPV sales up a small bit. That’s obviously a great start. I feel sorry for the main event coming out after that fight. It was a thrilling fight. I’m just delighted to come out of it with the belts and still undefeated. 18-0, onwards and upwards. This is what I’m in the sport for, I want to be involved in the biggest fights. There’s plenty of those fights out there for me.”
Eubank Jr. Decisions Morrison
Chris Eubank Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over Marcus Morrison in a middleweight bout.
Eubank, 161.9 lbs of Brighton, ENG won by scores of 98-92 on all cards, and is now 30-2. Morrison, 161.8 lbs of Hattersley, ENG is 23-4.
“My last fight lasted two rounds, so really it’s been two years since I had a twelve-round fight,” Eubank Jr told Matchroom. “There was definitely some ring rust, and there was definitely some getting back into the swing of things. I had him hurt bad in the second round. I backed off. I wanted him to recover so that I could be seen again.
“I’m back on TV, I’m back fighting, this is my home. This is my life; this is what I do. I wanted to go the distance and get those rounds in. I’m happy with the performance. I followed instruction; he was telling me to do things in the corner and I went out there and did it. That’s kind of alien to me. Usually most of my career has been dependent on what I want to do, my instincts and my reaction. But now we have a head coach in Roy Jones Jr and I full trust him. I’m happy to be paired with him.
“This is the beginning of a long and great journey for me. I want to be very active this year, I want to fight at least twice more. This is a good start. Full credit to Marcus. I’ve hit guys with shots like that and they’ve gone. He kept coming. A lot of respect for Marcus. There’s a lot of World Champions in the Middleweight division. There’s a lot of big names out there for me to go and fight. Golovkin is the end goal, and anyone with a World Title. I’m coming, they’re all on the radar.”
Bivol Defends Light Heavyweight Title with Decision over Richards
Dmitry Bivol defended the WBA Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Craig Rchards.
Bivol was 234 of 609 punches; Richards was just 76 of 756 punches.
Bivol, 174.2 lbs of Saint Petersburg, RUS won by score of 118-110, 115-114 and 115-113 and is now 18-0. Richards, 174.6 lbs of Crystal Palace, ENG is 16-2-1.
“I’m not happy but I’m okay,” Bivol told Matchroom. “It was a long rest for me and I went into the ring after one and a half years. It’s fine. My opponent was a good fighter, really good. He’s smart and he thinks. He was thinking for the whole fight.
“It’s okay. I was feeling that I’d won. I gave him a couple of rounds for recovery. I landed more clean punches. I respect him and I respected him before the fight. I think he can make problems for all fighters because of his style.
“He moved a lot. Fighters who move a lot and have good speed are really hard. He is a good fighter, but I have more weapons in my arsenal. I’m glad I have had another defence. Of course, I want unification fights. I still want them. I haven’t had a chance to fight for another belt, this is why I defend my belt.
“I’d like to fight for another belt, it would be a good challenge for me. I believe I can become the Undisputed World Champion one day, this is why I train, that’s why I have a good team. I believe one day I will be if I train hard. Thanks to everyone who supports me and watched this fight.”
Straffon stops Tennyson in 1st
Jovanni Straffon stopped James Tennyson in round one of a scheduled 12-round lightweight battle.
Straffon landed a booming right that put Tennyson on the canvas. Tennyson got to his feet but he was butchered against the ropes, and the fight was stopped at 2:10.
Straffon, 133.2 lbs of Mexico City is now 24-3 with 17 knockouts. Tennyson, ,134.7 lbs of Belfast, NI is 28-4.
“I dreamed about this several years ago,” Straffon told Matchroom. “I know I was up against everything. I knew he was a very strong fighter. He called himself ‘The Assassin’, but he was assassinated. He punches hard, but nothing punches harder than life.
“It has been a very good year for Mexican boxing. There has been lots of surprises and upsets. I’m not really surprised about what happened. I have been well prepared for a year. I knew I was the big underdog but now I’m the winner.
“I would really like the opportunity to work with Eddie Hearn. I would like to thank my manager and promoter. I hope some really good things are coming my way. I believe I just won an opportunity to get some of the tough and big names out there. Don’t give up on anything, always keep on dreaming because dreams do come true.”
Scott Fitzgerald stopped Gregory Trenel in round three of their scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.
In round three, Fitzgerald landed a barrage of punches on the ropes, and the fight was stopped by referee Steve Gray at 2:43
Fitzgerald, 169.4 lbs of Preston, ENG is 15-0 with 10 knockouts. Trenel, 166.2 lbs of Dainville, FRA is 13-7-2.
| “It’s an amazing feeling,” Fitzgerald told Matchroom. “There were times I thought I wouldn’t get back here. To get back in there and come out with a stoppage is a great feeling. I was whacking some shots off his head, and at some points he was smiling. I could see he was tough. At the end he wasn’t looking to throw back and I was hitting him with some big shots. The body shots were hurting him. I think it was the right decision from the ref. “I’ve already lost a fair bit of weight to get down to 12 stone. If I’m out again in July I can be under eleven and a half stone and ready for a big one then. October time, under eleven stone then. I’ve 100% learnt my lessons. I just keep the right people around me. I’ll keep my eyes on the mission. No messing about. “I’d like to win the British Title back by the end of 2021. That’s what I’m hoping for. Cheeseman, I’m sure he’d be happy to fight me again as I’ve already beaten him. That’s a way back in for me. I’m going to keep chipping away at this weight and get myself ready. The first fight with Anthony Fowler was a great fight and everyone enjoyed it, the public enjoyed it and I know they all want to see it again. If it’s right to happen before the end of the year, I’m ready for it.” |
Johnny Fisher stopped Phil Williams in round three of a scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.
Fisher dominated and the fight was stopped at 1:40 of round three.
Fisher, 254.7 lbs of Romford, ENG is 2-o with two knockouts. Williams, 268.7
“I thought it was brilliant to get out on such short notice,” Fisher told Matchroom. “Credit to Sam Jones and Eddie Hearn for getting the fight there for me. Phil Williams is an awkward and tough opponent; he’s only been stopped four or five times in 30 bouts. Awkward fight, but I got him out of there and I showed I could go three rounds and keep a high pace.
“I’m trying to find the balance between having that killer instinct and sitting behind my boxing. Sometimes in there you probably get caught between the two. As I progress, I’ll be able to use that killer instinct more effectively. It was an awkward fight, but I showed that I’ve got the strength and the power to stop people. I stopped him in the third round. We’ll go against for the next one as soon as we can.
“If you stay ready, you’ll get opportunities, especially at Matchroom and with S-JAM Boxing. I showed I can turn up and get the job done. I’m very grounded. I played rugby for a long time. That teaches you a lot of discipline. I’ve got family and a support network who believe in me. They always tell me the truth as well, and I’ll always be truthful about my own performances.
“It’s all systems go, ready for the next one. I’ve got to get that jab off, because in the gym it’s coming off lovely. When you get under them lights, you can have a bit of eagerness. I’ve only had four amateur senior fights and I’ve got a long way to go in the professional ranks.”
Campbell Hatton won a four-round decision Levi Dunn in a lightweight fight..
Hatton, 135.9 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 40-36 score and is now 2-0. Dunn, 134.5 lbs of Prestwich, ENG is 0-5.
“I could tell during the whole build up that I’d be a lot better in this fight,” Hatton told Matchroom. “I’ve just been so much more relaxed. It’s night and day. I’ve not watched it back yet, but I think I did show a lot smarter boxing and a bit more composure.
“There’s still room for improvement but I’m buzzing with it. I’ve not had probably 10% of what I had to do last time. I’m grateful for it. I think I was hurting him a bit more this time. In a spar, it isn’t about taking them out is it. He was doing a lot of holding. He’s a tough kid and he’s done the job that he was here to do. I think I would have got him out of there if there was a bit less holding.
“My heroes have boxed here, so it’s a box ticked for me. It was weird walking down the ramp with no crowd. I can’t wait to do it again here when it’s packed. It’s not new to me now, I’ve got a bit more used to it. I’ll be straight back in the gym ready to go again. It’s all learning, and by keeping busy, I think I’ll be flying soon.”
