Donald McRae's report
“Not a throwback fight, just another fight,” Joshua says. “I respect Otto. Throughout the whole buildup, I was telling everyone I need to focus on the man in front of me because I respect what he’s bringing to the table. Not so much a throwback fight, just another day in the office.”
He’s then asked to expound on his approach to the fight.
“Well, victory by any means,” Joshua says. “So when I pray, one of the things I know is that every cell, my spirit, my mind is leading towards victory. And like with Otto, we just want to do whatever it takes to be victorious, because in this game, it’s a treacherous business. It’s like snakes and ladders. One win gets you up the ladder and a [loss] takes you all the way back down. So all I want to do is just be victorious for as long as I can.”
Did his familiarity with Wallin from their previous sparring work offer him an advantage?
“I was looking on the roster of heavyweights that was on this card,” Joshua says. “I fought Otto, sparred with him, great fighter. I fought Joseph Parker, was going to fight (Jarrell) Miller, sparred with (Daniel) Dubois, sparred with Agit (Kabayel). I’ve been around the block, man. Hard work, kids. Staying focused, dedicated to your craft will pay dividends in the long run. I think I’ve worked hard in the short space of time I’ve been boxing, but all that history with Otto paid off today.”
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Joshua defeats Wallin by RTD 5
And it’s over! Wallin’s corner doesn’t allow the Swede, whose nose appears broken, to answer the bell for the sixth round. It’s a technical knockout for Joshua to punctuate one of his sharpest performances in recent memory.
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Round 5
More solid work from Joshua, who continues to break his opponent down. Joshua detonates a left uppercut-right hook combination that sends Wallin reeling backwards. Wallin is badly hurt! Joshua rushes in for the finish but he’s able to make it to the bell. Hard to believe that one-two didn’t put Wallin down.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Wallin (Joshua 50-45 Wallin)
Round 4
More superb stuff from Joshua, who is totally in rhythm and on balance and countering Wallin beautifully. Not sure how much longer Wallin can last with this version of Joshua, whose throwing with bad intentions and keeping his foe off balance with shots to the head and body.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Wallin (Joshua 40-36 Wallin)
Round 3
Joshua is having his way with Wallin. He’s moving forward with laser-focus, scoring with crisp jabs and has already opened a cut around the Swede’s right eye. Frankly, Wallin looks overmatched.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Wallin (Joshua 30-27 Wallin)
Round 2
Another quiet round but Joshua is throwing and landing more, a steady diet of lead right hands that we didn’t see in the Franklin or Helenius fights. Wallin’s nose looking a bit reddened already.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Wallin (Joshua 20-18 Wallin)
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Round 1
Off we go in the main event. A busier Joshua wins a largely uneventful feeling-out round.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Wallin (Joshua 10-9 Wallin)
Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin have made their entrances. Michael Buffer has gone into his fighter introduction and we should be under way shortly with tonight’s main event.
Wilder says that he did feel like he did enough to get the win, “but my timing was off a little bit”. He continues: “Big ups to Joseph. You did a great job avoiding a lot of my punches. We make no excuses tonight, you know what I mean? It was a good fight. And we move on to the next.”
He’s asked whether his inactivity played into the defeat.
“Could have, but we’re not going to base it off of that,” Wilder says. “We did what we did and we move on to the next. You know what I mean? We live to see another day and that’s what it’s all about. And I’m just ready to go home to my children, you know what I mean? And love all over them.”
Did all the talk of an Anthony Joshua superfight distract him?
“Just a little bit,” Wilder admits. “It’s a lot of talk about different things, but we’re making no excuses tonight, man. It was a great crowd. I enjoyed being here in Riyadh. Thank you guys for coming out and supporting.”
Could this be the end for Wilder, who turned 38 in October?
“We’ll see what happens,” he says. “We have a little bit more left, but I’ve done a great job with managing my money, investing and I’m a happy fighter. You know what I’m saying? We go ahead and do what we do and we go home and live and spread love to the family and all our loved ones, and then on to the next. I’m a warrior, so I’ll be back soon. And if not, then it’s been an enjoyment. It is been a pleasure and I appreciate everybody for the love and the support that they’ve been giving me for over the years.”
Asked whether he’s still got the fire within him to make another run for the title, Wilder elaborates on the inner peace he’s found in recent years.
“I’ve done ayahuasca,” he says. “I found a lot of peace in my life. I found a lot of happiness in my life. I’ve been wearing this smile all week long and I’m going to still wear it, win, lose, or draw. I’m going to wear my smile because I’m blessed and I’m highly favored. And I don’t think nothing can stop me on that. You know what I mean? That’s what it’s all about. Being a warrior, going in and giving it all you got, and if you come up on the short end, you just get back up and you keep trying. That’s what life is all about. Falling and getting back up, falling and getting back up. You can’t quit. You can’t give up. You must keep going, for we all have greatness in us, but greatness is only determined by service and I’m going to continue to apply my service, baby.”
“Dangerous fight, tough fight, but we trained very hard for this,” Parker says. “We were purely focused and we had great momentum coming into this fight. I’ll tell you: everyone had plans, other plans, but this is God’s plan.”
He’s asked about his strategy coming into the fight.
“The strategy that we discussed with [trainer Andy Lee] before the fight – I was really fit with the work I’ve done with Andy and George – was to stay calm, stay relaxed, stay focused, switched-on for every second, every minute, every round,” he says. “Listen, there’s always things to work on, but today we’ve got the win. Merry Christmas to us.”
How was he able to stay away from Wilder’s right hand?
“Practice, practice, practice, work, work, work,” Parker says. “Listen, I had to be away at all times. He did catch me a few times on the guard, and I’ll tell you this, it’s a very hard right hand, so if it landed clean would’ve been different, but today’s my day. … This is massive. This is the toughest opponent I’ve faced. Biggest right hand and what can I say?”
UPSET! Parker defeats Wilder by UD 12
It’s official. Joseph Parker has won a 12-round unanimous decision over Deontay Wilder. The official scores were 118-111, 118-110 and a 120-108 shutout. (The Guardian had it 119-109 for Parker.)
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Round 12
Wilder knows he needs a knockout and he’s letting his hands go appropriately, but the emboldened Parker is standing his ground. Parker lands the plane over three still-tense minutes, throwing punches in spots and holding on when he needs to. Wilder is thrashing and unloading with everything he’s got, perhaps doing enough to nick this round on activity, but make no mistake: this is a victory lap for Joseph Parker, who’s not just won but embarrassed the great Alabama knockout merchant at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. It wasn’t even close. Waiting on the official scores ...
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 10-9 Parker (Wilder 109-119 Parker)
Round 11
Parker continues to lunge in with over-the-top right hands, which has the effect of short-circuiting Wilder’s offense. When Wilder does commit to throwing the right, he’s missing badly with it. Whether it’s ring rust or residual damage from the Tyson Fury trilogy, Wilder finds himself three minutes from being on the wrong end of a seismic upset.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 99-110 Parker)
Round 10
Another straightforward round for Parker, who is two rounds from upsetting the apple cart. Wilder still very dangerous until the very last, but the finish line is well in sight and it’s quite clear that nothing but a knockout over the next six minutes will do.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 90-100 Parker)
Round 9
Parker continues with his disciplined, tactical game plan despite the wounded foe before him. Wilder’s legs still look wobbly, but Parker continues with a measured diet of right hands over the top. In the closing seconds Wilder begings coming forward for the first time all night, but Parker blocks and parries his punches until the bell. Parker has landed 63 of 187 punches (33.7%) through nine rounds, according to Compubox’s punch stats, compared to 24 of 128 for Wilder (18.8%).
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 81-90 Parker)
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Round 8
Parker connects with an overhand right and Wilder is hurt! The American reels backward into the corner and Parker unloads a barrage of punches. Wilder is not throwing back and the referee is taking a very close look! This one might be stopped! Wilder escapes the corner and holds on long enough to make it to the end of the line. Wilder’s legs are gone but he’s been saved by the bell. Can he recover in 60 seconds?
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 72-80 Parker)
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Round 7
Another round for Parker, who continues to stymie Wilder with overhand right hands and seals it beyond dispute when he connects with a big right hand near the end of the session that rocks the American backwards. Wilder needs a knockout to win on our card.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 63-70 Parker)
Round 6
Parker spent most of the early stages fighting from afar, but he’s closed the distance and is fighting from mid-range now, out-throwing and out-landing his American foe. He’s taking advantage of Wilder’s inactivity and effectively scoring at will by landing the cleaner punches. Parker leads six rounds to none on our card and most of them have been fairly straightforward to decide.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 54-60 Parker)
Round 5
Parker lands a big right hand to the temple. He’s the busier fighter and he’s consistently first to the punch. Another easy round to score for the New Zealand native against Wilder, who is worryingly inactive and clearly looking for nothing but the knockout. But we’ve seen this in plenty of Wilder outinds before, including the Artur Szpilka and Luis Ortiz bouts; he doesn’t win rounds, he wins fights.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 45-50 Parker)
Round 4
The tension finally breaks early in the fourth when Parker bursts into the pocket and a firefight breaks out along the ropes with both guys trading shots upstairs. With about 20 seconds left, Parker rushes in again and lands and one-two combination to Wilder’s head and escapes unscathed. What a start from Parker, who’s been the aggressor and leads four rounds to none on our card. But Wilder nothing if not always dangerous.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 36-40 Parker)
Round 3
Wilder continues to be hesitant and gunshy in the early stages, wary of Parker’s feints. A nice uppercut by Wilder connects but Parker takes it well. Another low-output round from both sides with Parker scoring just more enough to shade it.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 27-30 Parker)
Round 2
Another very quiet feeling-out round. Parker doing very little. Wilder doing even less.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 18-20 Parker)
Round 1
The bell rings and the fighters come together. Parker is holding the center of the ring as Wilder circles him, already looking to set up that weapons-grade right hand. Lots of feeling out on both sides. Parker lands the first consequential blow of the night, a crisp right hand upstairs, with about 30 seconds left in the frame. Wilder didn’t land a single punch in the opening three minutes, effectively conceding the round as he works off the rust. Parker landed two of six shots, per Compubox’s punch statistics, compared to zero of eight for Wilder.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Wilder 9-10 Parker (Wilder 9-10 Parker)
Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker are making their entrances at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. First it’s Parker, who beat Andy Ruiz for the vacant WBO heavyweight title in 2016 and defended it twice before losing it to Anthony Joshua by 12-round unanimous decision in 2018. The New Zealand giant appears to take a wrong turn on his way to the ring, but he’s back on course now. Now it’s Wilder making his entrance wearing a black sequined robe with gold trim and oversized matching crown. The Alabama slugger looks all business. Both men are in the ring and Michael Buffer is already into his introductions. We should be under way very shortly.
Bivol defeats Arthur by UD 12
Dmitry Bivol has won a unanimous decision over Lyndon Arthur to successfully defend his WBA light heavyweight title. All three ringside judges handed down 120-107 scorecards, as did the Guardian.
Bivol did manage to drop his British foe with a body shot late in the 11th round, but Arthur made it to the bell and survived an onslaught in the 12th to avoid the stoppage.
“I would say it was good sparrring for me,” Bivol says afterward. “He was in good shape. I’m glad that at the end of the year I got this fight and now I see my way to my goal.”
That goal? To unify the fractured light heavyweight title and be declared the undisputed champion at 175lbs. The other three belts are held by Artur Beterbiev, who is a hot favorite against Callum Smith on 13 January in Quebec City.
Beterbiev v Bivol might not be a marquee matchup for more casual fans, but it is one of the best fights that can be made in the sport today.
“I hope this fight will happen in 2024,” Bivol says.
Dmitry Bivol is in complete control halfway through the scheduled 12 rounds of his WBA light heavyweight title defense against Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur. He’s winning six rounds to none on the Guardian’s unofficial card.
Once this fight is finished, the final countdown to Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker begins.
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Caption this. Men about town and original mad lads Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken their seats at ringside ahead of tonight’s action.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena for today’s eagerly awaited heavyweight twin bill. Less than two months before Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will meet in Saudi Arabia to decide the division’s first undisputed champion since 1999, the former champions Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are here to keep their names in the mix in boxing’s glamour weight class.
The 38-year-old Wilder, who held the WBC’s version of the heavyweight title from 2015 through 2020, has fought only twice since he was dethroned by Fury in the second chapter of their famous trilogy. But plenty of big-money fights await should he win today against Joseph Parker, the New Zealand native who held the WBO title from 2016 through 2018.
Then there’s Joshua, the 34-year-old former WBA, IBF and WBO champion, who fights the New York-based Swedish journeyman Otto Wallin in the main event. He’s built back incrementally from the consecutive defeats to Usyk that left his career at a crossroads, getting over the line in workmanlike fashion against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, but Wallin expects to offer a stiffer test.
Should Wilder and Joshua both get through, a long-awaited (and long-overdue) showdown between the pair is likely to follow. But things are never as straightforward as they appear in the red-light district of professional sport, so let’s just get through the next few hours and see where we’re at.
The first of tonight’s televised pay-per-view preliminaries is in the books with Daniel Dubois having stopped Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in the closing seconds of a 10-round heavyweight contest to hand the American the first defeat of his career. The second is about to start as Dmitry Bivol is making his entrance before defending his WBA light heavyweight title against Lyndon Arthur.
After Bivol v Arthur concludes, it will be time for Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker followed by Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin. Plenty more to come between now and then.
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Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Donald McRae’s lookahead to Saturday’s card.
