Decent set of fights available on DAZN: #4 Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, and #6 Zhilei Zhang vs. #7 Joseph Parker.
Main event: Joshua-Ngannou begins soon
Round-by-round scoring:
- Both fighters look active, lunging with jabs. Ngannou's guard with right hand high in front. Joshua going for low jabs. Huge hook from Ngannou misses as Joshua ducks. Joshua goes to body again. Joshua gets straight right hand through and Ngannou knocked down!! Ngannou had shifted to southpaw and got caught. Ngannou looks ok. 10-8 Joshua
- Let's see how Ngannou responds. He looks like he feels he needs to get a good punch in to even things up, which might be true. Joshua looks confident, obviously. Another good right from Joshua. Remember what happened in the Ruiz fight after Joshua put Ruiz down in the same manner though. Jab from Ngannou but he hasn't connected much. Jab from Joshua and another hook and Ngannou is down again! This is about how people though the Fury fight would go. Immediately Joshua connects with another right hand and Ngannou is out cold!
Anthony Joshua KO 2 Francis Ngannou
Well that was VERY different from the Fury-Ngannou fight. Ngannou looked like the amateur boxer that he really is. Pretty amazing work from Joshua though, he did in 1 1/2 rounds what Fury couldn't do in 10 rounds.
#6 Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1) vs. #7 Joseph Parker (34-3)
The winner will jump to #3 in our Heavyweight rankings, a peak for either fighter.
Round-by-round scoring:
- Pawing jabs from both as Zhang's southpaw stance conflicts with Parker's orthodox; no big shots for 1st half of round, more cat-pawing. One punch from each maybe. Jab from Zhang. Hardly enough to score a full round on, as I often do I have to call it even. 10-10
- Parker lunges forward with body shot here and there to break up the lead hand pawing, Zhang being even more patient. Big lunge from Parker right hand to body. 1st half pretty dull. Zhang goes to body and traps Parker in corner but gets tied up. Left hook to face connects. Zhang returns. Parker 1-2. Still not much happened, close round but Parker was more active. Parker 10-9; 20-19
- More active jabbing from both to start round 3. Parker rushes right back in after break, goes to body. Zhang traps him in corner after a good connect though. Lots of head movement from Parker, Zhang still waiting then very quick straight left puts Parker on his ass. No damage but makes a 50/50 round into a 10-8 round for Zhang, who pours on a bit at the end. 10-8 Zhang; 29-28 Zhang
- Zhang jabbing actively to start the round, alternative with left hand which is as quick as his jab. Parker returning fire, lands a few, good 1-2, now the action is really starting. Pretty even mid-way. Good shots from Parker to the body. Zhang standing in front of him less active and Parker taking advantage, solid right from Parker. Good exchanges, then ref warns Parker for low blow as round ends. Parker 10-9; 38-38
- Zhang pawing tentatively, both waiting to strike, not much over first minute. Standing in front of each other posturing, quick lunge from Parker misses, connects to the body then. Parker's activity might win this round too as Zhang isn't pulling the trigger, at all. Good one from Parker adds to his advantage. 10-9; 48-47 Parker
- Zhang looking a bit peppier but not really putting the jab all the way out. Parker lunges in and clinches after a miss. Parker's movement might be confusing Zhang who isn't committing to any punches. A small jab connects though. Parker to the body. Another blocked but he connects and then clinches. Exchange between the two, another clinch. Zhang sleepwalking through another round, Parker had to do even less, probably still won it. 10-9; 58-56 Parker
- Not sure if Zhang's corner is telling him he's winning or what? But he shows no urgency, maybe he's thinking KO? More action in first minute this time but nothing telling. Parker putting 1-2 on Zhang's gloves mostly, Zhang tries to return, clinch from Parker. Parker using his speed well as Zhang is defintely lumbering. Another Parker clinch confounds Zhang. Parker ducks again to clinch when Zhang gets near. Good counter from Zhang. Parker doesn't deserve that one, neither does Zhang though; 10-10; 68-66 Parker
- Parker connects with big right hand and return from Zhang as Parker ducks low to avoid. Parker's activity is really making Zhang look slow. But Zhang connects and as Parker ducks to avoid follow up and he runs into it and Parker takes a knee, ruining a good start for him. Minute left and Parker is fine, back to movement as before. Zhang trying to use the uppercut more as Parker goes low but misses. Zhang 10-8; 76-76
- Zhang keeps same (non) urgency, probably thinks he's up with two 10-8 rounds. Parker fighting the same, too, more active, running gloves into Zhang's gloves and occasionally body. Clinch. Good body shot from Zhang, good one from Parker. Parker in-fighting during clinch. Jab from Zhang. Another too close to call round 10-10; 86-86
- Uppercut from Zhang then body shots for Parker while Parker ducks low. Combo from Parker several punches, nothing too hard though. But he's scoring while Zhang isn't very much. Zhang needs to pull the trigger more. Good uppercut from Parker. Zhang just isn't going first, ever. Overhand from Zhang sort of lands, Parker double jab. Right hand. Zhang is just sitting doing nothing. Parker 10-9; Parker 96-95
- Parker gets the best of jab trade. Parker digging in, Zhang looks slow, still never pulling the trigger. Same story as previous round, he basically needs another flash knockdown or Parker is going to win. Parker is just taking target practice on Zhang's gloves and arms, with little threat of return fire. Parker 10-9; 106-104
- With three 10-10 rounds it's still within either fighter's reach by any judging bias, but Parker most likely wins a decision, which might be a split/majority decision. Parker looking good this round, lots of energy while Zhang looks sluggish, not able to attempt the KO or at least knockdown he probably needs. Parker holding him off his jab. Zhang just not trying at all to the very end, Parker 10-9; 116-113
If I divide the 10-10 rounds, my three cards are 116-113 and 116-110 Parker, and one card 113-113 draw, majority decision for Parker. Hard to see the cards ending up for Zhang overall.
Judges cards: 113-113 draw; 114-112, 115-111 for Joseph Parker, almost reflecting exactly my three cards. This is why I give a lot of 10-10 rounds and divvy them up to reflect the different way judges see a fight.
Great win for Parker who is on an absolute roll, beating Deontay Wilder and now Zhilei Zhang, both Olympic medalists, Bronze and Silver. Will he get another shot at the Gold (Joshua?). He'll jump to #3 in our rankings, ahead of Joshua, next month. Meanwhile Zhang looked old and slow, still dangerous. It looks like there is a rematch clause (which sucks) but it's hard to see it turning out different. Zhang will fall out of our top 10 next month.
Prelim brief summaries/scoring for HW fights:
Next fight features another ranked fighter, #89 Juan Torres (11-6-1) vs. undefeated Andryii Novytskyi (9-0), another guy looking to make his debut on the SportsRatings Heavyweight Top 100
- Shorter Torres struggling to get past tall Novytskyi's long reach. Nov is 6-6 while Torres is 6-1 but looks much shorter (and rounder at over 250lbs). Novytskyi 10-9
- Torres lunging multiple times but Nov stepping back to avoid, & Torres looks tired already. Long jabs are affecting Torres who is shrinking from contact rather than thinking offense. Novytskyi is being careful though. Good shot near the end; Novytskyi 10-9; 20-18
- Novytskyi jabbing, has one good shot over the top, Torres ducks under and almost goes for a takedown. Torres has his first good punch mid-round. More wrestling with a minute left, then solid right from Nov, then Torres takes a knee on followup. He doesn't get up, KO 3 Novytskyi
The end came really quickly and pretty unexpected, though it seemed inevitable that Novytskyi would win eventually, just not that soon. Torres pretty much gave up at first real adversity.
Andryii Novytskyi will make his Top 100 debut in April's rankings.
Early prelim: #13 Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena (10 rounds); Lerena not rated as a heavyweight after extensive Cruiserweight career
- Close round 10-10
- Lerena stronger most of the round, Huni came on near the end; still Lerena 10-9; 20-19
- Huni much busier than Lerena, who takes the round off basically, defends and doesn't get hurt; Huni 10-9; 29-29
- Another close one, tbh didn't watch closely 10-10; 39-39
- Lerena looks much more experienced, calmer, but Huni looks very fresh; Lerena dodges and returns fire well. Lerena 10-9; Lerena 49-48
- Good left from Lerena early; defends well with hands up. Huni using a lot of energy with each punch but not slowing down. Huni connects with solid left as Lerena slows down a bit, round is getting close. Huni probably took it Huni 10-9; 58-58
- Another good left to start from Lerena, who is very strong in first minute. Huni looking to come back with good combo, Lerena slowing down work rate in middle of round. No one really took charge of that one 10=10; 68-68
- Once again, an early left catches Huni, who keeps up good work rate early though. Huni might be starting to wear Lerena down despite Lerena's solid guard. Lerena's offensive output is down a lot. Lerena's face is bloodied now and he looks tired as Huni looks fresh. Huni 10-9; Huni 78-77
- Lots of feints from both fighters in first minute; Huni opening up a bit, Lerena still blocking most of it. 1-2 from Lerena; anyone's round with a minute left. Lerena makes a bit of effort, but Huni blasts him with a good shot at the end. Really not a very clear round. 10-10; Huni 88-87
- With four 10-10 rounds I have no idea what the judges will say. Huni looks fresher and ring generalship goes to him, but he might not have won the rounds, as Lerena's boxing has been solid while Huni wins on power. Halfway through, Huni is ROCKED by Lerena and in BIG trouble. It was another left, that he's been getting Huni with all day. Huni didn't go down though, and needs to stay up for 30 seconds. Lerena's too tired to do it. They're going to hug it out for the last 10 seconds. Clearest 10-9 round you'll ever see, Lerena 10-9; 97-97 draw
So the announcers think Huni was well ahead, I have it 95-95 if the four 10-10 rounds are split, and either 97-93 Huni or 97-93 Lerena if I give the 10-10s one way or the other. Kind of wish I had scored this with more attention to detail. Let's see what the judges say: 96-94, 96-94, 98-92 all for Justis Huni
I guess they gave 3 of the 4 10-10 rounds to Huni, though the 98-92 was a bit much.
Huni won't benefit for the difficult win, however, as Lerena is not ranked: he beat expired HWs Bogdan Dinu, Mariusz Wach, lost to Daniel Dubois, and beat Ryan Merhy before Merhy was ranked. Pretty much did the most you can without getting rated!