Day of Reckoning LIVE results
All the hype has been built, all the talking has been done, all the fighters have weighed in and rehydrated and are ready to go!
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker co-headline the brobdinagian boxing bonanza in Saudi on the eve of Christmas Eve and BBN are reporting live on every single minute of every fight.
Round by round reports below:
Frank Sanchez vs Junior Fa
Lots of feeling out in the early stages, Fa is awkward with his pawing left jab, but Sanchez tries to land his big right hand. Neither man wanting to commit too early. Fa comes forward and throws a right of his own, but he's soon pushed back again.
Fa keeps pawing with his lead left and flicks his jab downstairs a couple of times, Sanchez does the same, who goes on the backfoot in spells. It's all very tentative and slow to get going.
After such a sluggish start, Sanchez senses blood, turns up the pace and floors Fa for the third time before the bell in round seven with another huge right hand! This time the referee has seen enough and rightly waves it off.
The Cuban Flash successfully retains his WBC Continental Americas and NABO heavyweight titles and stays unbeaten at 24-0.
Sanchez stops Fa in seven after a slow start
Filip Hrgovic vs Mark DeMori
As expected, Filip Hrgovic stopped Mark DeMori within the first round. One long-range right hand bang on the button dropped DeMori early. Then another attack from Hrgovic saw DeMori turn his back, which should have been seen as a sign of surrender, but instead the referee warned the Croatian for hitting around the back of the head, but the towel was thrown in soon after, at the official time of 1:15.
Everyone shook their head at Mark DeMori even being included on the show, and they will be shaking their head even more after that pathetic fight. There was zero point in Hrgovic fighting DeMori and his stock will have decreased after that futile showing. 75 seconds of fruitless experience for Hrgovic, who does not look favourable for selecting such a pointless opponent.
DeMori stopped in one minute by Hrgovic in a mismatch
Jai Opetaia vs Ellis Zorro
Opetaia missed with a one-two quite wildly, but within seconds later, he landed an incredible left hook and KO'd Zorro completely. It was a one-punch KO. Opetaia feints his attack to make it seem he was going low, so Zorro dropped his right hand to protect his body and got caught cold by a crunching left hand to the chin and didn't get back up again. Easy night's work for the Aussie.
Another complete mis-match.
Zorro KO'd by a single punch in the opening round
Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Agit Kabayel
Kabayel straight on the move, lands a couple of nice counter lefts from the backfoot. Makhmudov lands something solid in the final minute. Makhmudov traps him in the corner but Kabayel escapes with ease and sends his opponent into the turnbuckle for loading up too much. Decent action in the first.
Kabayel goes to the body early in the second but he's too slow and Makhmudov tries to counter him but doesn't connect. He chases Kabayel into the corner, but his lateral movement is sublime and Makhmudov is left frustrated hitting air. Kabayel lands a nice stright right in the second. Kabayel swipes with his left and misses, Makhmudov lands his with his left.
Kabayel successful early in the third. Makhmudov lands a strong right, but he's soon rocked back to his heels by Kabayel, landing big right hands. Makhmudov backing up away from the European's pressure. Kabayel close to stopping Makhmudov here! What a round for Kabayel! Makhmudov looks in big trouble. Speed and movement the key for Kabayel here.
Two big right uppercuts from Kabayel rock Makhmudov's head back, then a body shot dows him! The pressure and punches have exhausted the big Lion. Another body shot at 1:25 downs Makhmudov. He gets back up again. Kabayel sinks left and righ hooks into the body of Makhmudov and he sinks into the ropes and down to the canvas for a third time and referee Steve Gray stops the fight. What a performance from Kabayel who moved well, got into a rhythm early by evading shots and countering quickly, and landed clean and often. When he hurt his man to the body, he targeted the soft spots and stopped him systematically.
Steve Bunce summed it perfectly by saying Kabayel took little chops at a giant oak tree.
Kabayel KOs Makhmudov in four
Daniel Dubois vs Jarrell Miller
Dubois stright in with a ramrod jab, then a big backhand right straight down the pipe. Good start. Miller walking Dubois down who is having to push him off. Low blow goes in from Dubois, Miller not pleased about it. Miller lands a bidy shot, about his only punch so far. Dubois lands good right hook on the klaxons then an uppercut on the bell. Miller threw about two shots, he's aiming to walk his man down and sap his energy. Dubois corner tells him not to push him off, as that will be draining.
Three-punch combo to start the second stanza from Dubois. Miller misses with a left hook. Miller catching a lot of shots with his high guard. Dubois landing his jab nicely. Two good right hands from Dubois, Miller finally throwing more. A good right hand from Dubois looked like it had an effect on Miller, he just paused and blinked for a second. Miller throws around a dozen hooks and one big one gets through to cause a stir from the crowd. Great finish to the second segment.
Miller bleeding from his nose in the third. They trade in the first minute with Dubois landing big shots. Another strong eft hand from Dubois to Miller's chin. Miller pawing with his left trying to set up his big right. Miller thrown a few jabs this round, for the first time. Miller is making Dubois work and turning the fight into his fight.
Miller taunting Dubois in the fourth, audibly talking to him. Dubois moving, bouncing, landing hard jabs. Dubois looking tired as Miller keeps landing jabs. Big uppercut and right hook spins Dubois' head. Dubois escapes the last minute's pressure just.
Dubois unloads at the start of the fifth, perhaps got his second wind here. They exchange on the inside, which suits Miller. Not much coming back from an exhausted looking Dubois. He lands a couple of nice left hooks, then Miller gets two hard jabs in. Both boxers bleeding from the mouth. Daniel starts the rounds refreshed then fades, but there were less worrying moments for him in this round, possibly over the worst.
They exchange jabs at that start of the sixth, Dubois the better of the two. The Miller lands three jabs in a row. Dubois trying to maintain a gap between them. Lovely right hand from Dubois but just bounces off the Big Baby. Better round for Dubois, using his brain for once. He had the first two rounds, perhaos the third but was 50-50, then Miller took four and five, but Dubois may have just won that one.
Miller ups the pressure in seventh. Good uppercut from Dubois. Miller teeing up that right. Good right from Dubois under pressure, then three jabs land. Dubois is tired and hurt, but he boxed beautifully under pressure in that round, very eyecatching, intelligent boxing from the Londoner.
Dubois lands long jabs and one-twos and looks like he staggers Miller early in the eighth but the New Yorker shakes his head in defiance. Miller looks tired and laboured, no snap to his jabs anymore. Dubois has landed 80 to Miller's 66 so far. Miller breathing heavily and bleeding fro the mouth. Referee gives Dubois a real telling off for low blows. Dubois lands a big right to the head on the bell and Miller looked hurt there.
Good one-two from Dubois to kick off the ninth. Then two left hooks. Two nice right uppercuts on the inside from Dubois as the pair constantly come together. Miller's workrate has slowed so much. Dubois lands a huge right hand on the klaxons. Miller tries to throw his big right but Dubois jabs him twice to stop his flow, very clever boxing to upset his opponent's rhythm.
Miller surges forward, Dubois lands a dozen shots from range and keeps on the move. Dubois hurts Miller several times who responds by goading him but he's fooling noone, so DDD steps in and unloads on the drug cheat to stop him with 10 seconds to go. What a win! It was the cruching right hands that stopped Miller in his tracks, he poked out his tongue in defiance but he was sapped and sunken by then, even looking to the referee for help just seconds before slumping back on the ropes under the Brit's unrelenting finish, which saw two big left hooks land to the temple then more hooks from both sides before the ref rightfully jumped in the middle with eight seconds to go.
Daniel Dubois overcomes some shaky moments to score a last round stoppage
Dmitry Bivol vs Lyndon Arthur
Bivol backs Arthur to the corner in the opening 10 sends, applying early pressure. Arthur jabbing back. Arthur lands a good jab down the middle on the backfoot, tries a couple of one-twos, but Bicol's feet are too quick to get caught. Bivol put a combination together and Arthur jabs him off to end the round. Very aggressive start from Bivol, whose last eight bouts have gone the distance.
Bivol putting more power behind his shots in the second, throwing big left and right hooks. Bivol catches Arthur on the ropes with two one-twos and misses with the left hook, but the Brit responds by urging him on. Bivol jabbing to body and head, Arthur jabbing back. But when he does, Bivol lands a left hook around the corner. Bivol keeping his left toe just on the inside of Lyndon's left toe, which is the distance he feels most comfortable with.
Midway through the third, Bivol unleashes a sustained attacked of straight shots, up and down, never falling in over his front foot, but Arthur just covers up and smiles back but a few got through. Arthur still flicking out that fantastic jab of his.
Arthur very jerky in the fourth to keep Bivol off his flow. Bivol is so patient, not rushing his work, waiting for the right time to attack. Bit of a tepid round as Bivol is waiting for his opportunity and Arthur doing well on the backfoot to avoid too much danger.
Arthur is a bit of a puzzle for Bivol who continually paws out his jab, trying to let his right hand go but never finding the opportunity. Arthur lands a body shot. Bivol gets some clean jabs in but the last two rounds have been active but with very little to report.
Bivol goes up a gear in the sixth and lands copiously in the first minute. Bivol is putting on clinic here. Arthur landed a jab to the body. They clinch in the final minute and Bivol tries to spin him round. Bivol puts his attacks together, landing a good left hook to bidy, then he lands it again soon after, followed by a right hook. Arthur jabs back but its caught on the gloves.
Bivol's jab is constantly peppering Arthur's guard at the start of the seventh. In the eighth, Bivol is landing straight shots to head and body then gets throgh with a left hook to the body that drew breath from Arthur. Then Arthur lands a body shot and Bivol stops boxing and backs off for a moment.
The ninth is just one-sided warfare, but then Bivol steps back and Arthur lands a jab, then he surges forward and they clinch for one of the first times in the fight. Arthur blocks a lot of shots but so many accurate jabs and one-twos get through clean, which he will feel tomorrow. Bivol has landed double the shots to Arthur at the this stage – 76-35.
Arthur targeting the body in the 10th, but he is peppered by the WBA champ, but it's more of a toe to toe conflict compared to the one-sided affair that's preceded. Arthur perhaps planning on a late rally.
Arthur comes forward midway in the 11th. But Bivol soon has him backing up again, then begins to land big, clean straight shots towards the end, dropping Arthur with two swiping left hooks across his ribcage. The Brit gets back up and is saved by the bell.
Bivol looks to finish the fight at the start of the 12th trapping Arthur on the ropes, throwing dozens of shots with nothing coming back, referee having a close look until Arthur finally responds with an uppercut. Bivol backs off and takes a breath. Arthur is ablt to land a body shot as they face off in the middle. Bivol tries once more to finish him off, but Arthur bravel absorbs it all and somehow manages to land the last punch of the fight, a jab. It's a one-sided affair, but Arthur, devoid of any tactics, proves his heart, bravery and durability to the world, but he hasn't won a single minute of the entire fight.
All three judges naturally score the bout 120-107. Bivol retains his WBA belt for the 11th time and adds Arthur's IBO strap to finally become a unified champion. Next stop, undisputed against Artur Beterbiev, unless Callum Smith can pull off the upset abroad in early 2024.
Bivol wins unanimously in a one-sided beatdown
Co-Main Event
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
Wilder announced as Dr. Sleep, having changed his moniker from The Bronze Bomber. Wilder starts on the backfoot, circling the outside of the ring. Parker keeping central, not getting drawn in. Both flick out range-finding jabs. Parker throws a one-two out of range. No punches landed in the opener, Wilder taking his time waiting for his prey to come to him. Parker would have taken that first round for his punches thrown and aggression.
Parker jabs to the body in the second, then gambles on a big swiping right, missing narrowly. Wilder throws a jab, Parker steps back, then tries another big right back. Parker attacks from too far out, Wilder looks to counter but Parker falls over his front foot and they clinch. Parker lands a right to the body, misses a double jab as the round ends, still very little from Wilder.
Parker grazes the back of Wilder's head with a lunging left hook. Parker looks very quick with his shots, but just can't quite land from range. A jab unbalances Wilder backwards to the ropes. Parker leans in with a one-two, is slightly out of shape while Wilder tries to get a shot off, but Parker sensibly holds. Parker misses wildly with an overhand right in the closing seconds. Parker the aggressor but everything just falling short as it comes from out of range, but looks so quick.
In the fourth, Parker lunges in twice and catches Wilder on the ropes, who is quick to fire back with short hooks as Parker ties him up. Parker lands a good jab, Wilder misses with his rright hand back. Parker lands flush and Wilder looks stunned momentarily in the closing seconds.
In the fifth, Wilder looks a little jittery and unwilling to engage. Parker looking the more comfortable, lands a big left hand on the two-minute mark. Throws a big right, but too far out and falls over his front foot again. Wilder hasn't got started yet. Andy Lee tells his heavyweight charge, Parker, to stay alert, who is five-nil up here.
Wilder finally throws the right hand in the sixth, but Parker blocks it fully with a strong, tight guard. Parker falls short with another big right hand, then goes for another one that lands this time, right on the bell. his is only round Wilder has actually won so far.
They exchange jabs in the seventh. Parker lands a big overhand right on Wilder in the last minute, Wilder responds with an uppercut in close.
Finally they clash in the eighth and there's a frenzied exchange midway. Wilder getting wise to that lunging right hand from Parker. Then Parker stuns Wilder with that right hand, and he doesn't know where he is for a moment, Parker swarms him but somehow Wilder survives to the bell.
Parker ducks under a Wilder right hand wheh he's slightly off stance in the ninth. Parker missing wildly with swiping overhand right. Wilder very passive, not engaging. Then Wilder taps at Parker's gloves then inevitably launches his right hand, which Parker was expecting.
Wilder tries that big right hand equalizer in the 10th, but Parker is disciplined and blocks it fully. Wilder lands a clean jab in final minute. Wilder misses with a right hand as Parker ducks underneath, but then he lands a long uppercut heavily, but Parker shakes it off. The replay shows it landed on the shoulder.
Parker reaches in with a jab to the body in the 11th. Parker moves his head well to slip Wilder's jabs. Parker misses with an overhand right and they clinch. Wilder really looking for that right hand. Parker lands another right hand on the klaxons and Wilder pushes him back out of frustration.
We go into the last round and Wilder needs a knockout. He starts hammering at Parker's head out of desperation, gets warned by the ref for the rabbit punching. Wilder leaping in at Parker, who lands a good overhand right, more like a bolo punch. Parker clinches, then lands a big right again. Parker spends the last 12 seconds holding, ignoring the refs call to break.
The scores were spot on as 118-111, 118-112, 120-108 to Joseph Parker. Andy Lee guided him all the way to that career-best win, picking up the WBC International heavyweight title to add to his WBO and IBF Inter-Continental belts. What a year for the Kiwi! Four fights, four wins, and Fighter of the Year candidate.
Parker upsets Wilder with the perfect tactics
Main Event – 11pm
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin
AJ straight out on his jab, lands a straight right to the body early. AJ lands another bigger straight right to the body which earned the respect of Wallin, who looked a little shocked at the speed and strength of the blow. Wallin looks like his nose is marked already. Steve Bunce believes it's the best first round from AJ since his first fight with Andy Ruiz in 2019.
AJ misses with a straight right in the secons and Wallin counters back quickly. Two good straight rights from Joshua midway through. Wallin couldn;t escape either of them. Wallin attempts a backhand left but misses, as Joshua pivots out of the way. Joshua 2-0 up so far and has found his range. Joey Gamache tells Wallin to move his head in the corner.
Joshua jabs to the body in the third. He throws a three-punch combination, then scores a counter right to Wallins head moments later. AJ lazy jab downstairs gets caught with a jab to the head, looks disappointed by it. AJ grazes Wallin's head with a left hook in the closing seconds.
Double jab followed by a big right to the head looks painful for Wallin in the fourth. Wallin tries to swipe with a right hook to the body but misses. AJ finding a home for his right hand, traps Wallin in the corner but he escapes by ducking down, then he's told to keep his head up by the ref. Gamache tells Wallin don't let him get set, as AJ gets closer and closer with the big right hand.
Joshua starts the fifth with another big right to the body. Joshua really targeting the body, loading up on his shots. Wallin opens up and AJ counters with a big right hand-left hook combo to stagger him. A cut opens up under Walln's left eye. AJ loading up on his right hand, Wallin survives to the bell but he looks like he's already gone 12 rounds.
Joey Gamache retires his man before the sixth round starts. That's three wins this year for the Watford man.
Joshua is back with a fifth-round retirement of Wallin
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