Anthony Joshua earned the first decision verdict of his professional career to add the WBO world heavyweight title to his collection of IBF, IBO and WBA world heavyweight titles.
Anthony Joshua moved to 21-0 in the sixth world championship bout of his career. The judges turned in scorecards of 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 all in favour of Joshua in his battle against Joseph Parker.
The action began in a tentative opening in the first round. Both men trying to establish ramrod left hand jabs as they felt each other out.
Joshua effectively getting more aggressive as the round progressed stalking Parker around the ring and scoring to the body with solid blows.
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2️⃣1️⃣ fights
2️⃣1️⃣ wins@anthonyfjoshua takes it via a unanimous decision with scores of 118-110 twice and 119-109, adding the WBO strap to his collection!
Follow it live here: https://t.co/bUjT8e81Dp pic.twitter.com/IHRrCiWfXm
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) March 31, 2018
Joshua continued the action very much where he left off in the first as he came out for the second round.
Parker seemed to be struggling with the Briton’s advantages in the height and reach advantages. This made Parker tentative and reluctant to do much else aside from circle the ring on the back foot.
WATCH: The noise in The Principality is deafening as @AnthonyfJoshua is announced to the crowd! ?
Will Parker be the next to falter at the hands of AJ?
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Book #JoshuavParker here: https://t.co/JyPqkbwwtK pic.twitter.com/gqat9kwYnv— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) March 31, 2018
Joshua continued to showcase a good boxing IQ and continued to force the New Zealander backwards. Peppering him with his work behind the jab as we approached the middle rounds.
It was controlled boxing from Joshua as Parker continued to negate the Briton’s control of the ring space.
Parker attempted to up the pace in the sixth round as he began to force Joshua backwards and started to land to some blows of substance. Giving his corner some badly needed encouraging signs as the fight entered the second half of the action.
Joseph Parker carried that momentum into the seventh. He continued to show signs of promise as he began to show signs of some effective work in the pocket.
But the referee Giuseppe Quartarone, was hesitant to let too much action happen in close.
Repeatedly forcing the fighters to break which kept breaking up the momentum of the action.
ROUND 12: AJ goes the distance for the first time in his professional career. We go to the scorecards here…
How did you score the fight?
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Book #JoshuavParker here: https://t.co/JyPqkbeVCc pic.twitter.com/qDvyb9SDjx— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) March 31, 2018
Joshua came out with more assertiveness in the tenth round. He was looking to sit down on some hurtful looking punches as Parker’s left eye was beginning to show serious signs of wear and tear.
Joshua came out aggressively in the 12th round and began to cut Parker off on the ropes and land some meaningful punches to the midsection as the fight came down the final stretch.
But the New Zealander was as advertised, game and resilient until the very end and the fight went the entire distance for the first time in ‘AJ’s professional boxing career.
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