Boxing: Andy Ruiz calls for rematch after close loss to Joseph Parker for WBO title

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker v Andy Ruiz Jr. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Andy Ruiz Junior believes he won last night's WBO heavyweight title clash and wants a re-match against Joseph Parker.

Even before he arrived in New Zealand, Ruiz said he felt he would be starting from two points behind because of Parker's hometown advantage.

Ironically, that was the difference with two judges awarding the Kiwi the fight 115-113 and the third declaring it a draw a 114-114.

Ruiz conceded last night that "maybe I could have done a little bit more to win".

But the young Mexican American boxer felt let down by the judging panel while his legendary trainer Abel Sanchez made it clear he felt his man won the fight.

"I thought we won," Sanchez told reporters. "I thought we were a couple of rounds up.

"I was imploring Andy towards the end that I needed the rounds only because I didn't want him to slow down. I thought he won the first four or five rounds and easily won three more of the last seven. I felt Parker maybe got four rounds at the most.

"We're in New Zealand. Everything he did the crowd went crazy - the judges may have been influenced but the judges have the last call. They scored it so we have to take it.

"I told Andy before we came we were two points down because we were in New Zealand and we understood that ... it's just it wasn't two points it was four we were down."

Sanchez backed Ruiz's call for a rematch.

"Absolutely. When's the last time you saw a heavyweight fight like this where the guys actually threw punches at each other instead of holding and throwing one punch at a time? It was the kind of fight I'd like to see again as a fan."

Asked whether Parker was at the level of the likes of IBF champion Anthony Joshua or Wladimir Klitschko, Sanchez said: "Both guys have a little way to go before getting to [the level of] Joshua but this fight will help both guys become better fighters."

For the record, the Herald scored the fight:
Round one: Ruiz Jr 10-9
Round two: Ruiz Jr 10-9
Round three: Ruiz Jr 10-9
Round four: Ruiz Jr 10-9
Round five: Parker 10-9
Round six: Parker 10-9
Round seven: Ruiz Jr 10-9
Round eight: Parker 10-9
Round nine: Parker 10-9
Round 10: Parker 10-9
Round 11: Parker 10-9
Round 12: Parker 10-9
Parker: 115-113