Boxing: 'Flat' Parker wins by KO

Joseph Parker of New Zealand celebrates his third round win over Keith Thompson. Photo / Getty Images

Joseph Parker has improved his professional record to 10 victories with a knockout win over American Keith Thompson here at the Sands Casino today.

Parker, quick and strong, caught Thompson with a powerful left hook in the third round which sent him down.

Seconds later it was all over, Thompson caught with a flurry of punches to the body and head, and dropping to a knee. Referee David Franciosi called the fight off 2min 41sec in the third.

"I felt a little bit flat but I'm thankful for the victory and the opportunity of fighting in the United States on the Main Events card."

"He looked like he was tired and finished but I left it up to the referee to do his job," Parker said of the referee's decision to stop it.

Meanwhile fellow Kiwi Robert Berridge has lost to Russian Vasily Lepikhin by way of technical knockout in the fifth round
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Lepikhin, nicknamed The Professor, knocked down Kiwi Berridge once in the second round and three times in the fifth round, referee Gary Rosato calling it to a halt 1min 4sec into the round. The defeat was Berridge's second of his career, and with it goes both of his light heavyweight championship belts. It was the first time he has been stopped.

Berridge, who will see his rankings fall after this defeat - he was rated 9th in the WBO and 12th in the WBA - failed to trouble the implacable Lepikhin, who controlled the pace of the fight and refused to concede a centimetre.

He used his greater height to good advantage, leaning on Berridge. And his body shots were spectacular at times.

Berridge's best round was the fourth. He came forward, found his range, and connected to Lepikhin's head.

However, the end came quickly a round later. Berridge fell early, was knocked down again following some powerful body shots, and the ref was quick to act after the third as Lepikhin had him trapped in the corner and was going in for the kill.

As it happened - Live updates by Daniel Richardson