Joseph Parker emerged victorious in an intense heavyweight fight against Zhilei Zhang, despite being floored twice. Parker showcased his boxing skills and outboxed Zhang for large parts of the fight, securing a majority-decision win on Friday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
One judge scored the fight a draw, but was overruled by two judges who scored it in favor of Parker. This win marks Parker’s second consecutive victory against a heavyweight ranked in ESPN’s top five, cementing his position as a serious contender in the division.
Joseph Parker’s journey to this point has been anything but straightforward. After suffering a brutal knockout defeat to Joe Joyce in September 2022, Parker was written off by many as being past his prime. However, he proved his critics wrong with three wins over domestic-level opponents last year, culminating in a stunning upset victory over Deontay Wilder in December.