For the first time since 1899, a New Zealander is a world heavyweight boxing champion.
Last night, Joseph Parker defeated Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr on points at Vector Arena in Auckland to claim the WBO heavyweight belt.
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The Samoan-New Zealander has become the first Kiwi since England-born, Kiwi-raised Bob Fitzsimmons – the heavyweight champion between 1897 and 1899 – to hold a world title in the glamour division.
Tom Heeney (1928) and David Tua (2000) were the other Kiwi heavyweights to challenge for, but fail to win, a division title. Given Fitzsimmons was born abroad, Parker becomes the first NZ-born heavyweight champ.
“New Zealand, thank you,” Parker said from the ring, following the bout.
“[It’s] a dream come true. Thank you to Andy Ruiz and his team for putting on a hard fight. I told you Andy was a great fighter with a lot of speed, and he showed that tonight.”
Coached by Kevin Barry, the controversial former trainer of Tua, the Las Vegas-based Parker was on the back foot early against Ruiz, before finding his tempo in the later rounds.
Parker used the jab best, especially towards the end, though it’s probably fair to say Ruiz Jr was the more pro-active fighter.
The three judges scored the incredibly close fight 114-114, 114-114 and 115-113 to give the 24-year-old Kiwi the slightest edge.
“I thought we were a couple of rounds up,” he says. “I was imploring Andy towards the end that I needed the rounds only because I didn’t want him to slow down.”
Barry, who won an Olympic silver medal in 1988, described Parker’s victory as “the greatest moment in his career.”
Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker and trainer Kevin Barry deliver a post-fight press conference after his victory over Andy Ruiz Jr last night. Source: Youtube.
The 24-year-old’s victory makes him one of the top ten youngest heavyweight belt holders in history, and improves his records to 22-0.
Parker has enjoyed breathless coverage from New Zealand’s sports media, given the power and influence of his fight promoters Duco. Duco regularly sponsors Kiwi sports journalists to travel to the US and Europe to watch the heavyweight train and fight.
While Parker’s boxing career is clearly in the ascendancy, and his achievements in Auckland last night recognized, it is worth putting them in context too.
While the WBA belt is currently vacated, American Deontay Wilder holds the WBC one and Brit Anthony Joshua the IBF title. Fellow UK boxer Tyson Fury is seen by most in boxing circles as the biggest challenger on the scene at the moment.
Before the fight, The Ring ranked Parker the sixth best heavyweight in the world and Ruiz the tenth. Given Parker’s struggles to put the Mexican away, it seems unlikely that the Kiwi is any where near the class of Wilder, Joshua and Fury yet.
Even former heavyweight champ Wladmir Klitschko, at 40, is still most likely a superior boxer.
“The victor and his vast army of New Zealand fans were understandably elated, but Parker still has plenty of improving to do,” British boxing expert Tom Gray wrote, following the fight.
