Former WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder faced Joseph Parker on December 23 for the WBO Inter-Continental and vacant WBC international heavyweight title. He went through the full twelve rounds for only the third time in his career and hardly won any rounds. Joseph is one of the best fighters Deontay has ever faced. The 38-year-old’s best win came over Luiz Ortiz in two fights, and he was outclassed in most of the rounds before knocking out his opponent to win the fight. In his last three fights, Deontay lost two to Tyson Fury and won one against Robert Helenius. In his most recent fight, “The Bronze Bomber” lost to Parker via unanimous decision.
Parker established his lead
Deontay made a cautious start against Joseph Parker, resulting in him losing most of the opening rounds. This change from his typical aggressive style allowed Parker to take advantage of the opportunity. The 31-year-old landed good shots and ultimately won those rounds. Wilder had difficulty establishing his lead in the opening six rounds of the bout. Parker maintained his lead in the seventh round with continuous punches to his opponent. However, in the eighth round, Wilder switched to a more aggressive approach, successfully landing some punches on Parker.
Wilder didn’t get a single chance to make a comeback
Parker continued to dominate the fight in the ninth round. Despite Wilder offering some offense toward the end of the round, it proved insufficient to shift the momentum in his favor. Parker continued to display his effective strategy and maintain the lead. In the tenth round, Wilder fought with a sense of urgency, adopting a more aggressive stance. However, Parker continued with his strong offense, displaying control of the ring and preventing Wilder from making any significant comeback.
Wilder seeked a knockout
Despite Wilder’s increasing aggression, Parker maintained his composure and continued to lead the pace of the fight. In the eleventh round, Parker constantly attacked Wilder and left his opponent to find solutions to make a comeback. In the final round, Wilder fought desperately, looking for a knockout to turn the tide. However, Parker covered himself with a high guard, minimizing openings for his opponent. Despite Wilder’s attempts to secure a knockout, Parker’s solid defense prevented all breakthroughs, allowing him to secure a huge and dominating victory.
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Wilder was a strong favorite entering the match, and according to a report, he had a pre-arranged deal to face Anthony Joshua on March 9 in Riyadh. However, the deal coming to fruition was contingent on both Wilder and Joshua being victorious in their respective bouts.
