Article by Rick Mohamed

Joseph Parker rises up off the canvas, shakes it off, gets the split decision and is now ready to fight the big guys

It took just 7 short seconds for Joseph Parker to feel Dereck Chisora’s power. Chisora landed a looping right hand that hit Parker on the back of his head and sent him to the canvas. The knockdown was sudden and shocking. It looked like Chisora was going to take early command, but Parker began to mix it up, clinching where necessary to slow down and frustrate the older veteran. 

Parker beat Chisora to the punch often with combinations to win the vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight championship at AO Arena in Manchester, UK. While Chisora did land quite a few big bombs, Parker withstood the storm each and every time. 

Parker kept peppering a tiring Chisora with stiff combinations all night. The final round saw Parker unleash some of his best punches on Chisora. 

Had Parker shown a bit more effort, he could have KO’d the older man. For his part, Chisora landed some big shots throughout the fight. 

Of course, he felt that he’d done enough to get the W, but the judges saw it differently. 

The score: 115-113 Chisora, and 116-111 & 115-113 for Parker. Chisora is now 31-11, and is 37 years old. Does this spell the end for this rugged vet? 

Maybe, but he did have a great ride. Whether he retires or not, he most likely won’t get another title shot. 

However, Parker stated he was willing to give Chisora a rematch. That’s a light at the end of a very dark tunnel for Chisora. Parker was solid. He recovered from the early knockdown and take over the fight just enough to eke out the win. Congratulations to “Team Parker”! LETSGOCHAMP

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LETSGOCHAMPS!