Dillian Whyte, left, and Joseph Parker battle during their heavyweight bout. Photo / AP
Dillian Whyte, left, and Joseph Parker battle during their heavyweight bout. Photo / AP
Joseph Parker crashed to his second career defeat after losing to Dillian Whyte in a gruelling 12-round war.
The Kiwi heavyweight rallied from getting knocked down twice to put Whyte down in the 12th round, but it was too little too late as the brave Brit hung on to claima career-best victory.
Here's how the media and fans from around the world reacted to the thrilling heavyweight contest:
The bout lived up to the hype, with some calling it a contender for fight of the year.
I tell you what Chisora/Takam and Whyte/Parker have provided two of the best heavyweight clashes we will see this year, both fights absolute wars. I love boxing.
You have to give the utmost credit & respect to Whyte. He has won 8 straight fights since he lost to AJ. Knocked down Parker who's never been knocked down in his pro career. Definitely a heavyweight to be reckoned with in the Boxing world 🥊 #WhyteParker
Dillian Whyte, right, and Joseph Parker during their Heavyweight contest. Photo / Getty
Fans slam 'biased' Sky commentary
As Chris Rattue wrote in his report: "Parker copped repeated criticism from the British Sky commentators from the middle of the round, the pundits accusing him of being "one paced", looking "lethargic", "not giving everything he's got".
"They even accused him of "feeling sorry for himself" and being too much "Mr Nice Guy"."
"In an exhausting, thrilling, fight with a dramatic denouement Dillan Whyte put himself firmly in the world title picture after a points victory over former world champion Joseph Parker.
"After Whyte dropped Parker for the first time in his career in the ninth round, an epic last round effort from Parker put the Brixton man on the floor, but it was too late."
"For half an hour, Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker engaged in a high-grade dance in front of 20,000 fans without delivering the candidate for fight of the year many had expected.
"But Parker – who took Joshua the distance last October – made the Londoner work for it. The judges got it about right, and Whyte learnt more in these 12 rounds than he has in several previous fights, including his knockout loss to Joshua."
"A brutal fight and a magnificently tight final round culminated with Dillian Whyte edging a decision over Joseph Parker and putting himself back on a course for a rematch with Anthony Joshua.
"That will ultimately be worth millions to the man from Brixton but right now he will simply count his lucky stars that he didn't suffer a second career defeat.
"For make no mistake, this was a hard night, and not just because he was smashed to the canvas in the final seconds of the fight by Parker."
Dillian Whyte survives late onslaught from Joseph Parker to stake his claim for world title shot - by Luke Brown of the Independent
"This was meant to be the fight that ascertained once and for all who deserves their place at the front of the heavyweight queue, the fight that ordained the opponent in waiting for the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. And yet after a wild night in front of a sell-out queue at The O2, the picture appears to be more muddled than ever. Dillian Whyte picked himself up off the canvas to beat Joseph Parker -- but only just."
