Few would have predicted former UFC champion Francis Ngannou would provide Tyson Fury with this stern a test in the boxing ring, while Joseph Parker made a triumphant return with a quick knockout.
When Joseph Parker met Simon Kean in Saudi Arabia, it was very much a case of getting the job done and getting it done well for the Kiwi heavyweight.
Fighting on the undercard of Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s meeting in Riyadh, Parker got his work done with a beautiful uppercut in the third round to catch his Canadian counterpart and end the fight.
Kean came into the fight with a 23-1 record, 22 of those wins by knockout, and looking to prove himself in the heavyweight division against the former world champion. However, Parker proved to be in a different class.
Parker got the better of Kean in the opening rounds, though the Canadian did land a few good shots, before opening up more in the third. Parker appeared to have hurt Kean with an uppercut and followed up with some heavy shots. Surviving that initial flurry, Kean waved Parker on when he got some separation, and the Kiwi responded accordingly, planting Kean with a well-timed right hand just seconds later to end their bout.