Joseph Parker and Junior Fa Win ‘Stay-Busy-Fights’ in New Zealand

Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker returned to the ring today in Christchurch, New Zealand, and ended a difficult year on a high note with a third round stoppage of obscure California import Alexander Flores. In the chief undercard bout Junior Fa blasted out 37-year-old Argentina slug Rogelio Omar Rossi in the opening round.

Parker (25-2, 19 KOs) and Fa (16-0, 9 KOs) are on a collision course. They met four times as amateurs with each man winning twice. When they meet again – and it will eventually happen – it will be a big news story in the Antipodes. Making the match more compelling is that Parker’s family roots are in Samoa and Fa’s are in the Kingdom of Tonga. The two Polynesian nations maintain a fierce rivalry in rugby, a sport in which both countries excel on the international stage.

Parker was in dire need of a knockout after engaging in five straight fights that went the distance. The two most recent – against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte – saddled him with his two losses. Whyte roughed him up, but Parker almost pulled the fight out of the fire, decking and hurting his British foe in the final stanza. He wants a rematch.

Against Flores, Parker scored two knockdowns, the second landing after a second low blow to Flores’ cup that brought only a warning from the referee. While Flores (17-2-1) has a legitimate beef that Parker should have been disqualified, the reality is that he was out of his league.

The fight between Fa and Rossi was over in 86 seconds. Near the end of the opening minute, Fa floored the Argentine with a big right hand. Fa beat the count, but shortly after getting back on his feet he was tagged with another vicious right and the referee waived it off. Rossi (20-7-1) was stopped for the fifth time in his last eight starts.

Junior Fa is co-promoted by Lou DiBella who also promotes Deontay Wilder.

In two undercard fights of note, Christchurch’s Bowyn Morgan (19-1, 9 KOs) scored a third round stoppage of Fijian southpaw Sebastian Singh (11-3-1) and Manu Vatuvei blew away David Letele in 28 seconds.

A massive heavyweight who carries 280 pounds on a six-foot-three frame, the 32-year-old Vatuvei was making his pro debut. He is a legend in Kiwi rugby circles. As for Letele (16-4), his ring name is Brown Buttabean and, no, we’re not making this up.

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