Deontay Wilder will not be fighting his rival, Anthony Joshua looks in 2024 after the American was beaten by Joseph Parker on Saturday night, December 23.
Parker continually caught Wilder with the overhand right throughout the fight, beating the odds.
In the first few rounds, there was barely a punch thrown as Parker was understandably wary of Wilder’s right hand.
In the third round, Parker landed a few jabs, while Wilder was trying to punch with his ending right hand, but failed in that respect.
Parker then started landing a few big right hands and quick combinations.
Wilder finally unleashed his right hand in round six, but the man from New Zealand continued to build a lead on the judges’ scorecards.
By round eight, Parker had already grown more confident, sticking to his game plan and towards the end of the round he almost knocked out Wilder, pinning him against the ropes and landing overhand right after overhand right.
As the fight entered the championship rounds, Wilder was still showing no sign of urgency despite the bout being close to slipping away from him.
In the 12th and final round of the fight, Wilder finally let his hands go, swinging wildly at his opponent, but it was a little too late as Parker earned his victory, claiming an unanimous decision win with scores of 118-111, 118-110, 120-108.
In his post-fight interview, Wilder was gracious in defeat, saying: “My timing was off a little bit. Joseph did a great job. No excuses tonight, a good fight and we move on to the next thing.”
Asked whether the talk of a Joshua fight was a distraction, Wilder replied: “A little bit, a lot of talk about a lot of different things. I’m a happy fighter. I’m a warrior, I’ll be back soon. And if not, it’s been an enjoyment and a pleasure.”
Wilder continued: “I’m a warrior, I’ll be back soon. If not, then I appreciate the love and support everyone has given me over the years. Life is about falling and getting back up, you must get back up.
“My timing was off a little bit, big up to Joseph as he did a great job avoiding all of my punches. We make no excuses tonight.
“We’re not going to base it off inactivity, we move onto the next and live to see another day. I tried to stay calm, throw jabs and set up my right hand. I felt like I had the upper hand but these things happen.”
