OPINION: "We was robbed". It's perhaps the ultimate boxing cliché, a refrain often uttered with considerable justification, and with far more regularity than is good for the sport. But judging from what I saw at Manchester Arena, the only people robbed were the fans who paid hoping to see an entertaining fight.
Instead they got a turgid encounter where Hughie Fury backpedalled the whole night. Sure he showed great ring craft, his constant movement at times made Joseph Parker look one dimensional and ordinary. But you can't expect to lift a heavyweight belt if you hardly throw any punches.
That didn't stop Fury's promoter Mick Hennessey from appealing the decision, but perhaps the best way to quantify his claims is to note he also compared Hughie's performance to Muhammad Ali. Hughie may have floated like a butterfly, but he also stung like one. Forget Ali, the historical figure most comparable to Fury's efforts is the celebrated pacifist Ghandi.
Although the Ali comparison seems relatively sensible compared to John Fury's (Father of Tyson) claims the decision was part of a wider conspiracy against the entire Fury clan that began when Tyson relieved Wladimir Klitschko of the heavyweight belts. Now I'm not going to say too much to criticise a guy who was sent to jail for gouging another man's eye out, but watch the interview above and make your own mind up.
Team Fury suggested Hughie dominated the fight with his jab, but sitting ringside it was clear Parker caught virtually all of them on his gloves. Fury's jab was rarely thrown with intent, at one stage he was even warned for throwing it as a back handed slap rather than a punch.
The 23-year old-Brit landed some nice counter punches as Parker advanced, but that was it. Even his father Peter admitted he should have been more aggressive.
Team Parker will be far from satisfied with the win though. It wasn't the 'statement' performance they were seeking to announce Joseph on to the British heavyweight scene. Parker was clearly frustrated by Fury's tactics, and unable to execute his own game plan of attacking Fury's body, before working his way up to the head. Parker and trainer Kevin Barry will need to devise a way to get inside more effectively against the big men, as many of the top fighters are as tall, if not taller than Hughie Fury.
Parker also failed to establish his usually potent jab, and instead went looking for a couple of big shots to end the fight early.
He still has his most valuable asset though, the WBO heavyweight title, and as long as it remains in his possession, bigger and more lucrative fights will come. The 25-year-old will need to improve from his efforts against Fury is he's to consistently beat elite fighters though.
Ross McNaughton is a Newshub sports reporter/producer.
