Cheree Kinnear runs down the results of a massive weekend of sport.
Joseph Parker was unable to straighten his right arm after his close points victory over Derek Chisora in Manchester, a problem which caused him to have a sleepless night and for which he will see a doctor in the city tomorrow.
Parker revealed the extent of his elbow injury inan interview with the Herald this morning, two days after his controversial split decision win over Chisora, a game opponent who dropped him with his first right-hand punch of the evening.
The New Zealand heavyweight has a history of elbow problems – they have both been operated on twice in order to remove bone chips – but he believes the latest issue is muscular or tendon-related.
He will also be hoping it doesn't prevent him from continuing his training with new coach Andy Lee in Dublin ahead of a possible rematch against Chisora, a bout which could take place on the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua blockbuster in Saudi Arabia still tentatively scheduled for late July or early August.
And more work is clearly needed for Parker, who felt he did enough to win the fight but spoke of his disappointment at his "laziness" during it.
Parker quickly brushed off the first-round knockdown caused by a punch he didn't see coming, and, while he didn't appear seriously troubled by the pressure Chisora brought, he spoke of the significance of a rematch in terms of his boxing future, suggesting that if he didn't show vast improvements the second time around then it would be time to ask some serious questions.
Joseph Parker lands a punch against Derek Chisora. Photo / Photosport
"I must have hyperextended [the elbow] during the fight in the mid-rounds," Parker told the Herald. "I'm not sure what happened to it. During the fight, I felt discomfort and after the fight when everyone disappeared, I was in pain. I couldn't do anything – I couldn't sleep. At the moment I can get close to straightening it but when I try to force it it's painful.
"It didn't restrict me, but I think it was in the seventh round when I felt it. I was more cautious throwing the right hand. It wasn't too bad until after the fight."
Parker's injury and caution may go some way to explaining why he didn't press home his attacks after hurting Chisora, particularly in the 12th and final round when the bout was still very much in the balance and his London rival was literally on the ropes.
A flurry of punches stunned Chisora but rather than attempting to finish off a 37-year-old who looked and sounded exhausted almost from the second round, Parker stepped back and allowed him to recover.
"I definitely felt I had him in trouble," Parker said. "There were a couple of times I had him in trouble but that 12th round stands out the most. When I watch it myself, I say 'why the hell didn't you put the foot on the pedal?' There are no excuses - I should have jumped on him.
"Honestly, watching the fight back now, I made it a lot harder than it could have been. I only had six weeks with Andy, and the week of the fight was the seventh week. There were a lot of things we were working on. But the thing that stands out the most was my laziness. Laziness in the sense that when I threw punches I stood there and watched rather than thinking about the next move. And also laziness in the sense that when I was moving I got into a position where I stood by the ropes and absorbed punishment when really I should have kept moving.
"It's just bad habits and going back to the default mode. I think if I keep working with Andy we can improve over time. I showed glimpses of what we've been working on. It showed that if I'd followed exactly what he had said it would have been totally different – not as hard.
"I thought I won – I thought I landed the cleaner shots. I out-worked him. He threw a lot of punches on the inside but I don't think you can win fights by swinging and missing. He only caught me now and then."
Joseph Parker celebrates with trainer Andy Lee. Photo / Photosport
Parker was awarded a 116-111, 115-113, 113-115 win by the three judges, and he and his coach Lee verbally accepted the offer of a rematch from a clearly upset Chisora afterwards.
"If we have the rematch, hopefully, I can come back and show improvements," a tired-sounding Parker said. "That's the only way I can show I'm a different fighter. If I come back and do the same thing and maybe look worse, then it will show that, I don't know, whether I should still be fighting or not."
At the suggestion another fight against Chisora could be high risk when weighed against the possible rewards, Parker, likely to re-sign a new contract with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, replied: "Every fight comes with risk. I have no worries about the rematch. I'd embrace it.
"If we could lock in a fight for the Fury/Joshua event … listen, that would be amazing. It would be the biggest heavyweight fight of this era. If we could lock in another fight around that time then I'll continue training here."
If so, Parker would probably return to New Zealand in August. "From there I have to figure out if we can lock in another fight at the end of the year. It's all about the fights I can get – and winning."
