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Watch: 'The bigger and the better man won on the day' - Humble Joseph Parker keeping his chin up after title fight loss

April 1, 2018

The Kiwi fighter lost his WBO world title to Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision.

Joseph Parker has remained humble in defeat after surrendering his WBO heavyweight world title to Anthony Joshua following a 12-round dogfight at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

The 26-year-old Aucklander became the first man to stretch Joshua, who moves to 21-0, the full distance but was defeated by unanimous decision this morning.

Two of the three judges scored it 118-110 in Joshua's favour with the third giving it to the London Olympic champion 119-109.

Parker said after the fight he had no regrets.

"The bigger and better man won on the day," he told a press conference. "We've just got to take it on the chin.

"Everything is learning, I could have done more but I didn't really throw the punches I wanted to throw."

Parker knew he needed a knockout in the final 30 seconds. Then the judges called it.

"I thought they (the judges' margins) were a bit wide but that's the judges, that's their job. You can't complain."

Joshua, meanwhile, was full of praise for Parker.

"Forget the hype, Joseph Parker is a world champion. I knew he'd be determined," he said in the ring.

"Sometimes this does become a boxing match, not a fight, so I made sure this would be about boxing finesse."

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