After Anthony Joshua’s labored victory over Joseph Parker, Arab News takes a look at five things we learned from the fight...
JOSHUA IS THE REAL DEAL: Three belts that matter in just 21 fights reveals all you need to know about the brilliant Briton. If the victory over Wladimir Klitschko last year proved he had the punching power, then his points victory over Joseph Parker revealed he has the nous and, more importantly, the staying power to be viewed as the best around. It was the first time he had been taken the distance and, bar three patchy rounds halfway though the fight, Joshua was always in control.
JOSHUA NEEDS MORE TIME TO TAKE ON WILDER: While his ability is not in doubt, if there is one thing we can take away from his bouts against Carlos Takam and Parker it is that it might be wise to not rush into a fight with Wilder. He still has fewer than four years in the ring as a professional and is learning with every bout. While Joshua is the real deal he is in no way the finished article.
GIUSEPPE QUARTARONE IS TOO CAUTIOUS: The Italian referee came in for a fair bit of stick during and after the fight, and it is not hard to see why. Far too often he stepped in rather than let the boxers box. It was a stop-start affair that did neither Parker nor Joseph any favors. Parker especially felt aggrieved after the fight, saying: “We are not blaming the referee but I wanted to fight and work on the inside. If I was allowed on the inside I could have done more and thrown more.”
PARKER IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE: The Kiwi gave away six inches in reach and six pounds in weight but gave nothing away in fight and determination. Throughout the bout he struggled to land with his jab while Joshua landed punches with increasingly regularity. But Parker had never been defeated until Saturday and it was not tough to understand why. He has a very strong chin and made Joshua work for the win.
BIG FIGHTS DO NOT NEED TO TAKE PLACE IN THE US: For decades most big fight nights have taken place in Las Vegas, it being long assumed that Sin City was the only place to host boxing’s best bouts. Joshua’s past three fights, though, have dealt a left hook to that idea. Each of his match-ups against Klitschko, Takam and Parker have been played out in front of more than 75,000 raucous fans in London and Cardiff. If Wilder does want a shot at Joshua, Las Vegas would surely be at the back of the queue in terms of a venue now?
