Dillian Whyte celebrates victory over Joseph Parker. Photo /Getty
Dillian Whyte celebrates victory over Joseph Parker. Photo /Getty
The music was playing; – Pina Colada, a classic old song about moving on to new and better things - and the talk was upbeat in Joseph Parker's changing room after what on the face of it was a devastating defeat to Dillian Whyte.
Parker doesn't want to escape, asthe song would have it, but he would be wise to survey all his options for this was a bad result; only a knockout defeat would have been worse. A title loss to Anthony Joshua is one thing - being floored twice in a defeat by Whyte another.
His left eye was darkening by the minute, and his right ear swollen and painful thanks to the left hook in the ninth round which sent him to the canvas for the second time in his career. The first time came in the second round courtesy of a headbutt not seen by referee Ian John Lewis.
It will surprise no one that Parker, 26, is looking forward to going home to south Auckland and seeing his new-born daughter, Shiloh, who was born nearly three weeks ago and whom he hasn't yet met.
He also missed the birth of his other daughter, Elizabeth, nearly two years old, because of his chosen profession, but there was no self pity in the bowels of London O2 Arena, just a resolve amid the hubbub of his family and entourage to get better and carry on. It's a supremely tough sport but he said he's in it for the next four years or so.
Parker is a strong individual. He wants to fight again sooner rather than later, but care will have to be shown in the selection of his next opponent as he begins a re-building phase after the second loss of his professional career.
Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker embrace after their heavyweight fight. Photo / Getty
"I'm not done yet," he told members of the New Zealand media invited into the team's inner sanctum afterwards.
"I'm finishing around 30 or 31 so I'm going to go hard for the next few years. I have a great team and great support from New Zealand and Samoa. A lot of people flew over for this fight. It's great to have the support and love. I have a goal. I want to be a two-time world champion. It's how you come back.
"I want to fight soon. I'm in good shape now and I want to maintain it. I want to maintain it better than the other times I've been home."
There were still no excuses about the headbutt from Whyte which dropped him in the second round, or the roughhouse tactics from his South London opponent.
That is probably the right approach because Parker and his team knew what they were getting into when they signed off on the fight. Whyte, from a tough background, is a notoriously rough fighter.
"I didn't feel balanced but I don't want to make excuses," Parker said of the early blow from Whyte's head after the Kiwi clearly won the first round. He would have won the second round too but for the points loss as he dropped to the floor.
"Things happen, it's part of the game. I sucked it up and carried on.
"I recovered well after a few rounds.
"I was supposed to be rougher, but when you're head's pushed down and he's manoeuvring me and pushing on my neck, I couldn't do what I wanted to do. It's all learning but I think we put on a better performance than our last fight even though we lost. I threw more punches. It was a more exciting fight."
Whyte's promoter Eddie Hearn felt that Parker had probably lost the hunger to return after banking what is believed to be $8million for the Joshua fight and about a quarter of that for the Whyte fight. Can a wealthy man find that drive to dig so deep again? Yes, according to Parker.
"I'm already set for life," he said. "I have a home and can look after my family. The money comes but I'm boxing for the passion and the love that I still have for it."
Parker said he thought he had Whyte beaten when he dropped him in the final round. "But he's a smart fighter. He smothered me and put me on the ropes so I couldn't let my hands go. If I had had a few more rounds it could have been different… but the better man won on the day."
Parker knows the doubters will grow in terms of numbers and noise, but he hopes his fans, particularly in New Zealand and Samoa, keep the faith.
"I'm representing both countries so hopefully they don't doubt us and what we're trying to achieve. We're trying to put them on the map and hopefully help other young boxers and athletes in New Zealand and Samoa."
For now it's home to little Elizabeth and Shiloh in what will be an emotional reunion and meeting. "Just being back home," he said when asked what he was looking forward to most. "Meeting my daughter for the first time and meeting my other daughter Elizabeth; she's nearly two now and I've missed out on a lot of growing. We've got a playground and a playhouse and we're going to have a lot of fun with her."
