- Parker defeated Zhang by decision and claimed the WBO interim heavyweight title.
- Zhang sent his New Zealand opponent to the canvas twice.
- LIVE: Follow the Mail Sport blog covering all the action with Joshua vs Ngannou
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Joseph Parker defeated Zhilei Zhang by majority decision to claim the WBO interim heavyweight title on Friday night.
In the co-main event of the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou card, the two heavyweights produced a thrilling 12-round bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Both fighters came into the fight with impressive victories: Zhang defeated Joe Joyce while Parker upset Deontay Wilder in late 2023.
And, in the third round, it looked like Zhang was going to pick up where he left off, when he landed a left hand that sent his New Zealand counterpart to the canvas.
However, Parker recovered in the fourth and increased the pressure on his Chinese opponent to help restore balance to the fight.
From there, Parker kept going and seemed much more confident with his shots, which caused problems for Zhang as the fight progressed.
In the eighth round, Zhang sent Parker to the ground once again, but the 32-year-old recovered to claim the victory that night.
More to continue…
Joseph Parker (L) won the WBO interim heavyweight title after defeating Zhilei Zhang (R)
The New Zealander put in an impressive performance over 12 rounds to take the win.
Parker was knocked down twice during the fight, but still won by majority decision.
