- New Zealander wins bruising heavyweight bout in Manchester
- Katie Taylor retains lightweight title against Natasha Jonas
After an unpredictable week of good humour and erratic behaviour, of eating breakfast together and then squabbling over who would walk first to the ring, Joseph Parker beat the old warhorse Derek Chisora on a split decision in a close and bruising fight at the Manchester Arena late on Saturday night. The decisive third scorecard, which was awarded to Parker by a margin of 115-113, was disputed by Chisora who complained it was “unbelievable”. Parker agreed that Chisora deserves a rematch – especially after the start he endured.
Seven seconds into the fight for the WBO’s intercontinental’s heavyweight title, Chisora floored Parker with an overhand right. It was a shock opening for the favoured fighter but he looked off balance as the blow to the back of his head landed with crude force. Chisora, seeking an early finish, poured forward but Parker was not badly hurt. The New Zealander managed to keep the marauding Chisora at bay to see out the rest of the round without further mishap.
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