Parker survives TWO knockdowns to defeat Zhang, but must rematch before the title shot
JOSEPH PARKER bounced off the deck TWICE to defeat Zhilei Zhang and cement his place in the heavyweight world title race.
The 32-year-old – whose wife is pregnant with their fifth child and first son – was decked out in the third and eighth, but was brought back to life to be daddy, cool in the desert.
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Two months after delivering a masterclass in stunning Deontay Wilder, he did the same to the 21st ranked Chinese star – save for two blips.
“It’s a great victory,” he beamed. “I feel like I’m on the rise at the moment.
“Zhang is a tough guy, but my team kept telling me to follow the plan.
“Now I want to go home and celebrate and then we’ll come back and do the rematch.
The three ringside judges in Riyadh called it: 113-113, 114-112 and 115-111 for a majority for Parker.
The opener was cagey, but in the second, southpaw Zhang saw off his shorter and lighter rival with a lead right hook, sending him stumbling.
The third was riding along nicely until Parker switched out and fell heavily.
A textbook long left hand pulled out of Zhang and hit him on the nose, knocking him off balance.
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Parker jumped back to his feet and stared straight at the excellent trainer Andy Lee – who wisely told him to stay calm, breathe and regain his senses, which he did enough to get through the session.
That arrow-like blow sent a flood of blood from Parker’s nose and made his handsome face look like a bull’s-eye for the US-based shooting range.
But Parker appeared to buzz Zhang with a one-two combination just before the bell, but the 40-year-old grinned it away.
Parker had to use his superior speed and stamina – as he did in the stunning points win over Wilder – but it’s easier said than done against a 6-foot-4 southpaw with a concrete skull.
And despite a good start to the eighth, he was clipped around the temple and took a knee and a five count, only to lose another stanza 10-8 and give himself a tough task to get over the great wall of China.
Parker did a good job in rounds 10 and 11, but Zhang seemed impervious to pain and shrugged his shoulders as the score was fired.
The twelve slipped by as Parker landed an early right hand and Zhang stayed out of trouble hoping two knockdowns would secure him the decision, but he was disappointed.
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