New Zealand's Joseph Parker versus England's Anthony Joshua. Heavyweight Boxing World title fight night. Photo / Photosport.nz
New Zealand's Joseph Parker versus England's Anthony Joshua. Heavyweight Boxing World title fight night. Photo / Photosport.nz
After a sometimes acrimonious build-up to this fight, Anthony Joshua spoke to Joseph Parker's mum Sala afterwards and asked her to congratulate her son.
"I made sure I spoke to Parker's mum before she left," Joshua said after his unanimous points victory after 12 rounds here in Cardiff. "I said'pat your son on the back, he's done well.' And he'll be back, and that goes a long way."
The question was related to something WBC champion Deontay Wilder said recently - a disgraceful remark in which he said he wanted "a body on his record", meaning he would like to kill someone in the ring.
New Zealand Heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker with his Mum Sala. Photo / Photosport.nz
Wilder was supposed to be ringside at the Principality Stadium and had signed up for television commitments but pulled out when told he wouldn't be getting into the ring afterwards. The American, difficult to deal with at the negotiating table, has taken to behaving erratically and spouting increasingly strange comments in order to get attention.
Joshua added: "Why do I want to kill her son in the ring? Each to their own."
Asked at the press conference a couple of hours after the fight had finished whether he had spoken to his own mother, Joshua said: "Not yet, not yet. She was expecting a knockout, though, to be honest. She said second or seventh [rounds], I don't know if she had a bet on or something.
"I try not to involve the family or my mum too much because when I go home I try to leave all this at the door."
Parker's family and his supporters here have impressed Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn. But a re-match isn't likely to happen soon, and with Wilder lurking just out of range, it may be that Joshua will be forced to take on one of his mandatory challengers such as Alexander Povetkin, who brutally knocked out David Price on the undercard, or Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua's stablemate Dillian Whyte or perhaps fellow Englishman Dereck Chisora are better short-term bets for Parker.
"He's 26, he'll come again," Hearn said. "He wasn't good enough tonight, but he'll come again. He is a good fighter and has a great team of people around him.
"He has a lot of support – he's a very nice young man. We need people like Joseph Parker in the division. The more people who are active and good, quality heavyweights, the better."
New Zealand's Joseph Parker versus England's Anthony Joshua. Heavyweight Boxing World title fight night. Photo / Photosport.nz
Hearn now also gets on well with Parker's promoter David Higgins. There is trust and respect there, but before Parker considers getting back into the ring he will take a well-deserved break back in New Zealand.
He confirmed he would like to fight again before the end of the year. "I'd love to do it again," he said. "Sign me up now."
