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Joseph Parker proved as good as his word as he became the first New Zealand-born heavyweight world boxing champion.
An impressive Parker battled hard over the back end of the fight to beat Mexico's Andy Ruiz in Auckland on Saturday night to win the vacant WBO belt by majority points decision.
The judges scored it 114-114, 115-113, 115-113 – a reflection of how close it was.
The 24-year-old believed he was in the best shape of his career and promised to use his increased weight and size alongside his noted jab and hand speed to torment Ruiz.
He did that – just. And so fulfilled his childhood dream and his late grandfather's prophecy, to win a world title.
Parker's quest now will be to go on and unify the top of the sport's glamour division. The WBO belt represents the first rung on a ladder of four to the ultimate glory as the undisputed champion.
The IBF, WBA and WBC wait and there will be genuine concern and caution in those areas as Parker continues to do more than just rattle the ranks. He is a genuine talent at the highest level now and will command respect and some massive paydays as his handlers plot a course forward in 2017.
Parker will take a deserved Christmas break now and have time to reflect on how far he has come in four years as professional and the unique achievement that gives him a special place in New Zealand sporting history.
Ruiz, who had won 29 fights heading into this momentous occasion in front of 10,000 at Vector Arena, suffered the first loss of his career in a brutal and brave display. The 27-year-old returns home empty handed and Mexico, such a proud boxing nation, must still wait for their first heavyweight champion.
Parker extended his unbeaten run to 22 fights and celebrated in style in the ring. For the first time in his career he lifted both hands high – read it as a V for victory or a W for world title. He said he would only extend both arms to the heavens once he had won a world championship and he did exactly that.
The fight started wth a nervous opening round.
Ruiz upped the pace in the second and had the better of the flurries.
Parker was getting anxious to find the range with his jab and Ruiz was quick on the counterpunch.
Parker was struggling to land some damage on the Mexican whose head movement was as slippery as his hands.
Ruiz was controlling the centre of the ring but Parker got his feet flowing in the fifth and with it came some progress.
The Kiwi looked to even a tight scorecard at the halfway mark.
Ruiz's jab started to lose a bit of sting and his patience was being tested by being held at bay by Parker's reach.
Parker upped the ante but clean shots were hard to find.
Ruiz's pressing game was relentless but he started to walk into some trouble and Parker was landing the bigger punches as the fight went deep.
The WBO title had been won via a knockout the last three times the belt had been vacant (1996, 1997, 2004).
Earlier, on the undercard, Australian welterweight Jeff Horn claimed a crucial TKO sixth round win over South African Ali Funeka to retain his WBO intercontinental belt.
Horn, looking to impress American promoter Bob Arum who looks after superstar Manny Pacquiao, dominated a rugged contest depsite giving away 10cm in height and reach.
Both fighters were sporting eyebrow gashes from clashes of heads. Horn had Funeka down twice and finished him off in style.
Ghana's Issac Dogboe, touted as a future star of the lower divisions, showed his class with a seventh round TKO of Argentina's Julian Aristule to go to 16-0.
The 22-year-old is the WBO's African boxer of the year, and dropped down from featherweight to make his mark in the super bantmanweights, lifting veteran Aristule's Latino belt and the organisation's international version too.
Dogboe's attack was relentless, constantly stalking Aristule into the corners and piling on the points.
The Argentinian was a tough customer but got caught flush on the jaw by a left hook early in the seventh round and was then downed again by a powerful combination to the body.
Australian Shannon O'Connell handed Laura Griffa (Argentina) the first loss of her career to claim the WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title by unanimous points.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-...vyweight-title-in-tight-battle-over-andy-ruiz
An impressive Parker battled hard over the back end of the fight to beat Mexico's Andy Ruiz in Auckland on Saturday night to win the vacant WBO belt by majority points decision.
The judges scored it 114-114, 115-113, 115-113 – a reflection of how close it was.
The 24-year-old believed he was in the best shape of his career and promised to use his increased weight and size alongside his noted jab and hand speed to torment Ruiz.
He did that – just. And so fulfilled his childhood dream and his late grandfather's prophecy, to win a world title.
Parker's quest now will be to go on and unify the top of the sport's glamour division. The WBO belt represents the first rung on a ladder of four to the ultimate glory as the undisputed champion.
The IBF, WBA and WBC wait and there will be genuine concern and caution in those areas as Parker continues to do more than just rattle the ranks. He is a genuine talent at the highest level now and will command respect and some massive paydays as his handlers plot a course forward in 2017.
Parker will take a deserved Christmas break now and have time to reflect on how far he has come in four years as professional and the unique achievement that gives him a special place in New Zealand sporting history.
Ruiz, who had won 29 fights heading into this momentous occasion in front of 10,000 at Vector Arena, suffered the first loss of his career in a brutal and brave display. The 27-year-old returns home empty handed and Mexico, such a proud boxing nation, must still wait for their first heavyweight champion.
Parker extended his unbeaten run to 22 fights and celebrated in style in the ring. For the first time in his career he lifted both hands high – read it as a V for victory or a W for world title. He said he would only extend both arms to the heavens once he had won a world championship and he did exactly that.
The fight started wth a nervous opening round.
Ruiz upped the pace in the second and had the better of the flurries.
Parker was getting anxious to find the range with his jab and Ruiz was quick on the counterpunch.
Parker was struggling to land some damage on the Mexican whose head movement was as slippery as his hands.
Ruiz was controlling the centre of the ring but Parker got his feet flowing in the fifth and with it came some progress.
The Kiwi looked to even a tight scorecard at the halfway mark.
Ruiz's jab started to lose a bit of sting and his patience was being tested by being held at bay by Parker's reach.
Parker upped the ante but clean shots were hard to find.
Ruiz's pressing game was relentless but he started to walk into some trouble and Parker was landing the bigger punches as the fight went deep.
The WBO title had been won via a knockout the last three times the belt had been vacant (1996, 1997, 2004).
Earlier, on the undercard, Australian welterweight Jeff Horn claimed a crucial TKO sixth round win over South African Ali Funeka to retain his WBO intercontinental belt.
Horn, looking to impress American promoter Bob Arum who looks after superstar Manny Pacquiao, dominated a rugged contest depsite giving away 10cm in height and reach.
Both fighters were sporting eyebrow gashes from clashes of heads. Horn had Funeka down twice and finished him off in style.
Ghana's Issac Dogboe, touted as a future star of the lower divisions, showed his class with a seventh round TKO of Argentina's Julian Aristule to go to 16-0.
The 22-year-old is the WBO's African boxer of the year, and dropped down from featherweight to make his mark in the super bantmanweights, lifting veteran Aristule's Latino belt and the organisation's international version too.
Dogboe's attack was relentless, constantly stalking Aristule into the corners and piling on the points.
The Argentinian was a tough customer but got caught flush on the jaw by a left hook early in the seventh round and was then downed again by a powerful combination to the body.
Australian Shannon O'Connell handed Laura Griffa (Argentina) the first loss of her career to claim the WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title by unanimous points.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-...vyweight-title-in-tight-battle-over-andy-ruiz
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