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Joseph Parker snubs Anthony Joshua and the only man to KO him while naming the most powerful puncher

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 4:20 PM ET

Joseph Parker dominated the fighter he sees as boxing’s hardest hitter.

Parker has fought some of the heavyweight division’s best across an illustrious 39-fight career thus far, including former two-time WBC champion Anthony Joshua, Chinese powerhouse Zhilei Zhang, and knockout phenom Martin Bakole.

While he has three defeats on his record, including Parker’s loss to Joshua, the New Zealand star has been stopped inside the distance just once as a professional. Many found it hard to envisage the 33-year-old being finished, but that feat was achieved when Joe Joyce brutally KO’d him in 2022.

Despite being the only man to shut Parker’s lights out, though, Joyce joined the likes of ‘AJ’ and Zhang on the sidelines when the New Zealand star was asked to name the sport’s most powerful KO puncher.

Joseph Parker names Deontay Wilder as boxing’s hardest hitter almost two years after dominating him

One of the most impressive performances on Parker’s active winning streak came when he outclassed former heavyweight king Deontay Wilder.

The pair collided in December 2023, with ‘The Bronze Bomber’ looking to begin a resurgence after consecutive defeats to Tyson Fury. Instead, Wilder was absolutely dominated by Parker, as the Auckland native was on the right side of lopsided 118-111, 118-110, and 120-108 scorecards.

While there were no narrow margins involved in the decision, Parker did have a close shave with Wilder’s renowned power, which can’t be doubted even with the American’s recent struggles.

Parker spoke about that while naming ‘The Bronze Bomber’ as boxing’s biggest KO puncher during a recent TikTok video for SPORTbible.

“I’ve been hit by Wilder, but it landed on the glove and I thought to myself, ‘Lucky this (glove) was up.'”

@sportbible WHO IS THE CHAMPION OF… We put Joseph Parker in the hot seat to crown the champions of boxing, from the best Boxing IQ to the king of Trash Talking! Watch Parker vs. Wardley LIVE only on @DAZNBoxing ♬ original sound – SPORTbible

Joseph Parker returns as he looks to secure Oleksandr Usyk title fight

Having won six fights in a row, Parker finds himself in a strong position in the heavyweight landscape.

The Kiwi star has long been pointed to as a deserving opponent for Oleksandr Usyk, and he could cement himself as the mandatory challenger should ‘The Cat’ want to retain his undisputed status.

Parker is set to fight Fabio Wardley at The O2 in London this Saturday. With a victory, the WBO interim heavyweight champion will be in line to battle Usyk.

Parker’s promoter, for one, thinks the Ukrainian needs to take up the challenger if he wants to retire with the best possible legacy.

“If he doesn’t fight Parker I’d argue that he hasn’t faced all of the best of the era,” David Higgins told Sky Sports.

“For the perfect resume, he needs the Parker fight,” he added.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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