Joseph Parker maintained his unbeaten record and took another step on his path to a world heavyweight title challenge by dispatching Kali Meehan with a technical knock-out in three rounds at The Trusts Arena in Auckland tonight.
The result is Parker's 16th consecutive win and 14th by knock out since 2012 and sets him up to finish the year in style with a Hamilton fight scheduled for December, before a proposed bout in Samoa in the new year.
After commenting during the build-up that his son Willis packed a harder punch than his opponent, the 45-year-old Meehan might feel differently after feeling the brunt of 23-year-old Parker's power and speed.
Parker started confidently, feeling out Meehan before finding his range close to the corner and getting inside to connect with a range of blows.
The second round saw Meehan engage with gusto but the 45-year-old found himself against the ropes before both fighters unloaded with a flurry of punches to ramp up the excitement levels among the sold out crowd.