On December 23, a major boxing tournament was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight pairs, each recognizable and competitive. It’s competitive, at least on paper. In reality it turned out a little differently.

The main story highlighting the tournament was the fights between the two division leaders, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. Unfortunately not against each other but also good.

Deontay faced Joseph Parker in one of the most competitive fights on the card. We tell you how the conflict went.

Wilder did not box while Parker was active. The question was whether this would cause problems for Deontay.

Deontay Wilder last fought in 2022. He later came back after losing to Tyson Fury and eventually won.

The period of facing Tyson seemed strange. Deontay gained weight and tried to offset the size difference, but that wasn’t the real difference, it was that Fury looked faster and a better boxer.

As a result, Wilder lost twice and then spoke at length about the case, which exhausted him before entering the ring and prevented him from winning the third bout. It sounded weird and didn’t look good. Some lost moments.
But Deontay is back. Robert knocked out Helenius and regained what they always talked about: the feeling that only incredible care could defeat him. So the coup has not disappeared.

The problem was different. Wilder is 38 years old. Not too much for a heavyweight, but enough to make you wonder if it’s time to think about retirement. There are also very long breaks. More than a year passed before Helenius stepped into the ring with Joseph Parker. Such a break is not good for anyone, but overall it is bad for a 38-year-old boxer after two heavy defeats.

On the other hand, there was an incredibly active boxer in front of him. Joseph Parker has four fights in 2023. Four – with the meeting against Wilder. Considering that he fought three boxers before Deontay, we can say that he knocked out two of the three boxers.

Of course, there are questions about the level of opposition. Parker hasn’t beaten anyone at his best since his loss to Joseph Joyce. But these were achieved with three decisive wins and two by knockout. Moreover, Parker is only 31 years old. Joseph has a clear front advantage here. The only question was how to use it.

But Parker isn’t the most technical fighter in the league. Not the most mobile or agile. He misses shots and sometimes stays in mid-range for long periods of time. This is generally unacceptable in fights against Deontay Wilder.

So there was a lot of intrigue here. Parker looked like he could impose his boxing, at least for most of the rounds, despite the bookmakers’ words seeing the American as a big favourite. And whether it gets there depends on your luck.

This time Joseph Parker was lucky. Overall, it’s hard to understand what Deontay Wilder is counting on. Is it the same blow? Now we look at the situation when it does not work – what to do next?

The American’s behavior was surprising. From the first seconds of the conflict he retreated, retreated and retreated again. In the first few rounds you would have thought he was aiming for the same punch. But at the same time, Deontay didn’t work with his front hand at all. He waved his hand and tried to kick him from the side, but he couldn’t hit him.

The further Parker went and acted according to plan, the better he felt. The New Zealander understood what he had to do; keeping up the pressure, but steadily getting closer. Maintain a reasonable distance and work discreetly but effectively.

By the middle of the fight, the questions got louder. How long can you walk waiting for that right blow? Of course it is possible until the end, but what will be the result of this?

As practice shows – there is none. Deontay appeared to seriously believe that one day he would turn the lights out for right-hander Joseph Parker and that would be the end of it all. At the same time the New Zealander was just working. He hit, pressed, punched. In the eighth round, Parker started the game with an accurate move from the right; Wilder was ahead and barely escaped the final push.

Then everything follows the same pattern. The American only had positive moments when he started attacking. He himself came under pressure or tried to hit his opponent with multiple blows. Then Parker felt really weird and uncomfortable. But this was so minimal that the fight took place with almost no threat to outsiders.

The bottom line is that two judges somewhere saw Wilder win in two rounds. The third gave all the runs to Joseph Parker.

What’s next?

Parker won the main fight of his career. He beat the favorite confidently and without asking any questions. He’s only 31 years old and has plenty of time and opportunity. It is quite realistic to expect that Joseph will become a champion again in a few years if he overcomes injuries and other problems. When those present understand who should be called absolute.

Wilder promised to return and generally watched the fight as if it were an even conflict. It’s unclear who Deontay will fight, but it’s definitely not Joshua. Although a double confrontation between Anthony and Deontay was previously planned.

The Briton certainly doesn’t need such a rival anymore. Or rather, not now, because you won’t be able to earn as much money as you used to. But the Briton is still interested in titles. He will most likely follow the IBF line and Deontay will eventually reach an agreement with someone from the WBC rating. The same Andy Ruiz who couldn’t understand his own worth. Now the men can come to an agreement.

Author – Lev Kravtsiv