Main event - Joseph Parker vs Bowie Tupou - Parker wins via first round KO
Round one: Tupou right out of the gates with some wild looping right hands. Parker evades well, steps aside and blasts home with the right. Huge right hook and Tupou is out cold! Face-plants into the mat and he's not moving an inch, this one is all over! Click above to watch the fight in full.
10:39pm - Intros done and dusted, a predictably warm southern welcome for Parker. Let's do this!
10:34pm - Tupou has made his way to the ring to the strains of a classic Yothu Yindi banger. Big Joseph follows closely behind, looking typically relaxed and confident.
10:20pm - Parker is up next! Looks as though we're looking at an approximate start time of 10:30pm.
Co-main event - Jeff Horn vs Viktor Plotnykov - Horn wins via unanimous decision
Round eight: Horn's corner seem eager to have the fight stopped given the accidental head-butt would award them a comfortable points win. Official word is in, the fight has been stopped.
Round seven: Nasty head clash towards the end of the last round has opened Horn up above the left eye. The doctor's taking an extended look at this, we may have a no contest on our hands. No, the green light has been given and Horn's keen to carry on. Plotnykov goes looking for the cut immediately, looking to open it up further.
Round six: Horn five rounds up at this stage, this one scheduled for a total of ten. Plotnykov has never been stopped, his iron chin evident here as he continues to be tagged by the Horn jab.
Round five: Horn showing the gulf in class now, peppering Plotnykov high and low.
Round four: More heavy body shots being landed by Horn, starting to sit down a bit more on his punches as he seeks that decisive blow.
Round three: Horn clinically dismantling the Ukrainian now, mixing his shots up beautifully.
Round two: Plotnykov looking very relaxed, times Horn coming in with a solid one-two to the dome. Horn continues to plug with the jab, following with pin-point straight rights. Horn crushes a body shot to the ribs, Plotnykov really felt that one. Chalk another one up for Horn.
Round one: Horn establishing his jab early, Plotnykov still trying to find his range as he eats a few to the jaw. Plotnykov finds a home for the right hook, starting to work into a rhythm. Horn digs a few to the body in the clinch. One down for Horn, volume of shots thrown decidedly higher.
9:37pm - Fighters making their way into the ring, we should be underway shortly. Promising Australian fighter Jeff Horn is a lengthy favourite here, looking to add to his impressive streak.
9:25pm - Word has come through that the Morgan vs Gemmell result has been changed to a Technical Draw on the basis of the cut effected within the first three rounds. Duco have also offered Taetuli a rematch with Buttabean in Auckland, this time for an increased purse of $20,000.
9:17pm - We're into the business end of the card now, co-main event Jeff Horn vs Viktor Plotnykov up momentarily.
9:04pm - And this one is over! Spectacular finish for the underdog who rocked Buttabean in the opening seconds then unleashed a barrage of shots to the head as Buttabean was out on his feet, forcing the referee to jump in. ITL Stadium has erupted, superb scenes. Taetuli wins via first round KO. Taetuli also takes home a $15,000 bonus for his efforts.
9:01pm - Time for fan favourite Brown Buttabean vs Kaleni Taetuli. Buttabean entres the ring and heads straight to his opponent's corner for a pre-mature staredown.The southerners love it, but they're firmly on the side of local Taetuli tonight.
8:47pm - The corner, not the doctor, has decided to call this one off. Bowyn Morgan wins by TKO in round two.
8:44pm - Morgan really showing his class in round two, pummelling Gemmell to the body and opening up a sizeable cut above his right eye as he battled through an eight count. The doctor has stepped in between rounds and looks as though he may call an end to this fight based on the severity of the cut.
8:38pm - An entertaining first round, Gemmell now starting to tire after opening with multiple flurries.Morgan digging in with some heavy shots as the round closes.
8:32pm - Another pro debutant makes his way to the ring, Nuka Gemmell making the step up to take on Bowyn Morgan, a Commonwealth games veteran and a heavy favourite in this bout.
8:25pm - And we're done with this one, Olympian Jai Opetaia wins by unanimous decision in his professional debut. Too much experience and athleticism for his opponent.
8:13pm - Messages of support from Parker's fellow athletes have been flooding in all day. He's becoming quite the show-stopper, and rightly so.
8:07pm - Our next fight is about to get underway, Australian Jai Opetaia vs Isileli Fa.
8:04pm - The man himself has entered the building...
7:55pm - We're now live from ITL Stadium in Invercargill, Izu Ugonoh getting proceedings off to a bang with a thundering right-hand to send Will Quarrie stiff through the ropes in just the second round. That was brutal.
Commentary will start from around 8pm. In the meantime check out the video above for the iconic Colonel Bob Sheridan's thoughts on tonight's event.
Fight Card:
Main event – Joseph Parker ($1.07) vs Bowie Tupou ($7.00)
Co-main event – Jeff Horn ($1.27) vs Viktor Plotnykov ($4.20)
Brown Buttabean ($1.30) vs Kaleni Taetuli ($3.30) - Taetuli wins via first round KO
Bowyn Morgan ($1.10) vs Nuka Gemmell ($6.00) - Technical Draw
Jai Opetaia ($1.15) vs Isileli Fa ($5.00) - Opetaia wins by unanimous decision
Izu Ogonoh ($1.13) vs Will Quarrie ($5.25) - Ogonoh wins via second round KO
Pre-fight banter
Parker eyes top five ranking
By Ross Karl
Joseph Parker has a top five ranking in his sights when he takes on Australian Bowie Tupou tonight in Invercargill.
Parker owns the WBO’s Oriental belt and if he claims Tupou’s WBO African belt it could propel him from eighth in the organisation’s rankings into the top five.
The Kiwi is one of a number of young heavyweights rising up a division that has been dominated by the Ukrainian Klitschko brothers for a decade.
Currently Wladimir Klitschko holds the WBO, WBA and IBF belts.
American WBC champion Deontay Wilder and British 2012 Olympic champion Anthony Joshua are the others helping lift the profile of the once glamorous division around the world, after it became a European stronghold.
So what will it take to reach the top for Parker? Fighting well, picking the right opponents and having his management negotiate the politics of the professional ranks well.
I caught up with Hall of Fame commentator Colonel Bob Sheridan before tonight’s fight to see what he thinks.
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