Joseph Parker Breaks His Silence on Controversial Stoppage: “I was ready to continue”
Joseph Parker had everything under control … Until he didn’t.
Parker’s opponent at the O2 Arena, Fabio Wardley, was down six rounds going into the 11th. But none of that mattered after Wardley caught Parker with a booming right hand less than two minutes into the penultimate round. With Parker on the ropes, Wardley unleashed an onslaught of strikes that prompted referee Howard Foster to step in and bring an end to the bout.
Pundits and fight fans immediately lambasted the controversial finish on social media, including renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani.
“Absurd stoppage,” Helwani said on X. “Per the broadcast, Parker was up six rounds, two rounds, and even. Was Wardley pouring it on? Yes. But both men were having moments. No knockdowns. A fighter of Parker’s caliber deserved WAY more time.”
After the dust had settled, Helwani had the opportunity to ask Parker his thoughts on the sketchy stoppage that cost him his interim WBO heavyweight world championship.
“It’s quite hard just to look back at the fight as a fighter,” Parker said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Like, I was ready to continue, you know, and there was at no point where I wanted to stop the fight. I was going to finish strong because he, I think he blew himself out. In a matter of seconds, my friends, I was ready to keep pushing on.
“When the referee jumped in, I just said, ‘Hey, I’m fine,’ but I guess it’s not my job to decide whether or not the fight can continue. You know, I can sit here and complain, I can go back and forth and say, ‘Poor me,’ but what can you do? Accept it and take it on the chin and move on.”
What’s next for Parker remains to be seen, but a rematch with Wardley is likely high on his list. However, there are other options, including a potential opportunity to avenge his loss against Anthony Joshua in 2018. A potential title eliminator against Agit Kabayel could be in the cards, or perhaps a clash with undefeated heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma.
What do you think should be next for the 33-year-old Samoan?
