Fearless Dillian Whyte survives late barrage to snatch points win over Joseph Parker
British boxer floored the Kiwi on two occasions with the second effectively ending the scrap in the ninth round
DILLIAN WHYTE floored Joseph Parker for the first time in his life on his way to outpointing the Kiwi and edging closer to an Anthony Joshua rematch.
Both warriors are former AJ victims and last night’s battle might have decided his April 13 Wembley opponent, if WBC king Deontay Wilder remains in the USA.
And Whyte proved over 12 gruelling grounds in the baking O2 that he now has the engine and boxing brain to give the unified champ a better challenge than in their 2015 grudge match.
Parker raced into a one-round lead, using all the speed he had promised would be the difference between the two powerhouses.
At almost a stone lighter, the 26-year-old Kiwi was able to dart in and out and land a crisp one-two and later on a left hook that scored when Whyte lunged in.
There was no sign of the cautious approach that cost Parker his WBO title in a March defeat to AJ as he happily traded with the Body Snatcher.
Whyte was pinning his hopes on the same giant right hand that destroyed Lucas Browne last time out but it was a head-butt that floored Parker for the first time in his life.
The Samoan and his team have always insisted that he had never been dropped - not even in training or as an amateur - so it was a shock Whyte snatched his canvas virginity, albeit accidentally.
Referee Ian John Lewis appeared to judge it as a legitimate knockdown caused by a left hook
Parker hurt Whyte in the fourth with an uppercut but he seemed to lose interest in his own dominance and allowed the 30-year-old to manhandle him and rain down blows.
Parker landed a series of quickfire one-twos in the fifth but Whyte and his breezeblock head was unperturbed, he grinned and shrugged his shoulders and went back on the hunt.
Whye constantly cut the ring down and blocked Parker’s escape routes but the speed of the Samoan always helped him out of trouble and his slicker boxing should have impressed the judges.
Parker’s team were increasingly furious with Whyte’s roughhouse tactics but they worked a treat in the sixth when they led to a flurry of hooks that he did well to absorb.
The New Zealander got carried away in the seventh when he was free to fire shots onto Whyte’s guard and he lashed out on a clever retaliation with a left hook that landed and backed up for former WBO champ.
Parker’s piston-like jab was peppering Whyte but it was the home fighter who was landing the heavier shots in the eighth.
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And, if the early knockdown was an mistake, the ninth round decking was certainly not. A left hand rattled Parker’s skull and his legs betrayed him and only a Maori warrior code let him rise again.
Parker worryingly dropped his guard throughout the tenth and was getting tagged with needless probing shots more than blows.
There was even a WWE moment when the warring pair threatened to tumble up and over the top rope, sending almost 40 stone into the crowd.
Whyte was out on his feet in the eleventh, he clung on for dear life as Parker had him nailed to a ring post and seemingly kaput.
And in the final seconds the Body Snatched seemed to have his soul grabbed away from him and his chance at a title shot when Parker floored him before the bell rescued him and gave the judges the final say at 113-112, 115-110 and 114-111.
Parker has vowed to come back stronger following the defeat and said: "What a great opportunity to come and fight in the UK for a third time.
"We knew it would be a tough challenge, Whyte was so strong and is still progressing, we are still young.
"I say congratulations to Dillian.
"I gave it my best, the better man won, I will come back stronger."