Huge upset in a one-sided match

A combination of Tyson Fury, a long layoff and Joseph Parker could break Deontay Wilder and ruin a major heavyweight clash in March 2024.

Early Sunday morning in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Parker stunned Wilder and gave the former WBC heavyweight champion a formal boxing lesson en route to a unanimous decision victory (118-111, 118-110, 120-108).

Parker, a former WBO champion and plus-450 underdog, had and executed a great game plan to neutralize Wilder’s right hand and take advantage of the latter’s difficulty and low work rate.

Parker’s body jab and right hand hook found the mark enough for Wilder’s best sparse offense. One of Parker’s big right hands appeared to rock Wilder and put him on the brink of an eighth-round stoppage.

Wilder survived the round but never found a home for his right hand.

Going into the fight, a tentative deal was for Wilder to face Anthony Joshua in early 2024.

Those plans were scrapped and now Parker is in position for a big fight in the first quarter of the new year. Parker took the center of the ring early in the fight and forced Wilder off his back foot.

According to CompuBox, Wilder landed just 39 punches in the fight and threw an average of 17 punches per round. Parker wasn’t very busy, but he was more effective than Wilder in every round in mine and one of the judges.

Parker landed 29 punches and 41% of his shots.

Throughout the 12-odd rounds, Parker looked like a fighter with a better game, more skill and hungrier to win. Wilder has accomplished so much in his career and enjoyed three massive paydays in fights with Fury. He seemed to lack the ferocity that once made him the most feared man in boxing.

After the fight, Parker acknowledged that Fury’s help during his training camp was a major factor in his success. Perhaps this just rubs even more salt in Wilder’s wound.

That said, Wilder’s post-fight interview was anything but tense. It may have been more revealing than anything else. Wilder seemed at peace with the loss, though he inexplicably said he did enough to win the fight.

Towards the end of the short talk with DAZN’s Chris Mannix, Wilder discussed retiring but left the door open for a return.

We’ll see what’s next for him, but it’s pretty safe to say it won’t happen with Joshua.