RIYADH: Former world champions Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker re-established their heavyweight title credentials with victories on the same Riyadh bill on Saturday.
British boxer Joshua produced one of his best performances of recent times by stopping Sweden´s Otto Wallin, who was pulled out by his corner after the fifth round of a one-sided bout.
Earlier, Parker enjoyed a unanimous points-decision win over fellow former world champion Deontay Wilder, the New Zealander triumphing 118-111, 118-110, 120-108 in a dominant display that appeared to scupper pre-fight talk the American would next face Joshua.
There had also been speculation that whoever triumphed in a Wilder-Joshua bout would then face the winner of February´s clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who between them currently hold all the major versions of the world heavyweight title.
But Joshua said he had paid no attention to Wilder´s fight, telling DAZN: “I wasn´t watching. I just focused on myself...Deontay, everything that he said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I´m going to take the higher ground.” Victory gave Joshua his third win of 2023 after he beat Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before a seventh-round stoppage of Robert Helenius in August. It also took the 34-year-old´s professional record to 27 wins and three defeats as he inflicted the first inside the distance loss of Wallin´s career.
Joshua is looking to become a three-time world champion following two defeats by Usyk and a shock 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz. “Not so much a throwback fight, just another day in the office,” said Joshua. “You want to do whatever it takes to be victorious. That´s all I want to be.”