Joseph Dennis Parker, OM (born 9 January 1992) is a New Zealand professional boxer. Per Wikipedia, he held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018, and at regional level has held multiple heavyweight championships, including the WBO Oriental, Africa, and Oceania titles, as well as the PABA, OPBF, and New Zealand titles. As an amateur, he represented New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Parker turned professional in July 2012 in Auckland. After defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. for the vacant WBO title in December 2016, Parker became the first heavyweight boxer from either New Zealand or the Pacific Islands to win a major world championship. He defended the title against Răzvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury before losing it to Anthony Joshua in a unification fight in March 2018. He later beat Deontay Wilder in December 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in March 2024 to win the WBO interim title, which he lost to Fabio Wardley in October 2025.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Joseph Dennis Parker
- Born: 9 January 1992 — Auckland, New Zealand
- Nationality: New Zealand, Samoan
- Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
- Reach: 76 in (193 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Pro debut: 5 Jul 2012 (Win by TKO vs Dean Garmonsway)
- Last bout: 25 Oct 2025 (Loss by TKO vs Fabio Wardley)
- Total rounds boxed: 263 (summed from the bout table below)
- Divisions: Heavyweight
- KO percentage: 66.7% (24 KO wins in 36 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): WBO heavyweight title December 10, 2016 – March 31, 2018 (won the vacant title against Andy Ruiz Jr.; lost to Anthony Joshua); WBO interim heavyweight title March 8, 2024 – October 25, 2025 (won from Zhilei Zhang; lost to Fabio Wardley)
- Born: 9 January 1992 — Auckland, New Zealand
- Nationality: New Zealand, Samoan
- Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
- Reach: 76 in (193 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Heavyweight
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 40
- Wins: 36
- Wins by KO: 24
- Losses: 4
- Losses by KO: 2
- Draws: 0
- No contests: 0
- Born: 9 January 1992 — Auckland, New Zealand
- Nationality: New Zealand, Samoan
- Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
- Reach: 76 in (193 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Heavyweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Jul 2012 | Dean Garmonsway | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 1:49 | SkyCity Convention Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |
| 2 | 9 Nov 2012 | Terry Tuteru | Win | KO | 2 (4), 1:49 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand |
| 3 | 15 Dec 2012 | Richard Tutaki | Win | TKO | 3 (6), 0:59 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand |
| 4 | 28 Feb 2013 | Dontay Pati | Win | TKO | 1 (6), 1:32 | Hornby Working Men's Club, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| 5 | 16 May 2013 | Brice Ritani-Coe | Win | UD | 6 | Hyatt Regency, Irvine, California, US |
| 6 | 13 Jun 2013 | Francois Botha | Win | TKO | 2 (8), 2:32 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand |
| 7 | 10 Oct 2013 | Afa Tatupu | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 1:55 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Won NZNBF heavyweight title |
| 8 | 26 Apr 2014 | Marcelo Nascimento | Win | TKO | 7 (10), 2:21 | König Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Germany — ★ Title fight — Won WBA-PABA interim heavyweight title |
| 9 | 5 Jul 2014 | Brian Minto | Win | RTD | 7 (10), 3:00 | Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA heavyweight title; Won WBO Oriental heavyweight title |
| 10 | 9 Aug 2014 | Keith Thompson | Win | TKO | 3 (6), 2:41 | Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US |
| 11 | 16 Oct 2014 | Sherman Williams | Win | UD | 10 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles |
| 12 | 6 Dec 2014 | Irineu Beato Costa Junior | Win | KO | 4 (12), 0:31 | Claudelands Arena, Hamilton, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles |
| 13 | 5 Mar 2015 | Jason Pettaway | Win | KO | 4 (10), 0:48 | Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles |
| 14 | 13 Jun 2015 | Yakup Saglam | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 0:45 | Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles |
| 15 | 1 Aug 2015 | Bowie Tupou | Win | KO | 1 (12), 1:03 | Stadium Southland, Invercargill, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBC-OPBF and WBO Africa heavyweight titles |
| 16 | 15 Oct 2015 | Kali Meehan | Win | TKO | 3 (12), 1:00 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA-PABA, WBC-OPBF, WBO Africa, and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBA Oceania and EPBC heavyweight titles |
| 17 | 5 Dec 2015 | Daniel Martz | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 1:57 | Claudelands Arena, Hamilton, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title |
| 18 | 23 Jan 2016 | Jason Bergman | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 1:02 | Faleata Sports Complex, Apia, Samoa — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title |
| 19 | 21 May 2016 | Carlos Takam | Win | UD | 12 | Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |
| 20 | 21 Jul 2016 | Solomon Haumono | Win | TKO | 4 (12), 1:35 | Horncastle Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC-OPBF and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles |
| 21 | 1 Oct 2016 | Alexander Dimitrenko | Win | KO | 3 (12), 1:38 | Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title |
| 22 | 10 Dec 2016 | Andy Ruiz Jr. | Win | MD | 12 | Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBO heavyweight title |
| 23 | 6 May 2017 | Răzvan Cojanu | Win | UD | 12 | Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO heavyweight title |
| 24 | 23 Sep 2017 | Hughie Fury | Win | MD | 12 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO heavyweight title |
| 25 | 31 Mar 2018 | Anthony Joshua | Loss | UD | 12 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales — ★ Title fight — Lost WBO heavyweight title; For WBA (Super), IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles |
| 26 | 28 Jul 2018 | Dillian Whyte | Loss | UD | 12 | The O2 Arena, London, England — ★ Title fight — For WBC Silver and vacant WBO International heavyweight titles |
| 27 | 15 Dec 2018 | Alexander Flores | Win | KO | 3 (12), 2:51 | Horncastle Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| 28 | 29 Jun 2019 | Alex Leapai | Win | TKO | 10 (12), 2:18 | Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| 29 | 29 Feb 2020 | Shawndell Winters | Win | TKO | 5 (10), 2:40 | Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, US |
| 30 | 27 Feb 2021 | Junior Fa | Win | UD | 12 | Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBO Oriental heavyweight title |
| 31 | 1 May 2021 | Derek Chisora | Win | SD | 12 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title |
| 32 | 18 Dec 2021 | Derek Chisora | Win | UD | 12 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title |
| 33 | 24 Sep 2022 | Joe Joyce | Loss | KO | 11 (12), 1:03 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — For vacant WBO interim heavyweight title |
| 34 | 21 Jan 2023 | Jack Massey | Win | UD | 10 | Manchester Arena, England |
| 35 | 24 May 2023 | Faiga Opelu | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 1:29 | Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia |
| 36 | 28 Oct 2023 | Simon Kean | Win | KO | 3 (10), 2:04 | Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Won vacant IBF and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles |
| 37 | 23 Dec 2023 | Deontay Wilder | Win | UD | 12 | Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title; Won vacant WBC International heavyweight title |
| 38 | 8 Mar 2024 | Zhilei Zhang | Win | MD | 12 | Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Won WBO interim heavyweight title |
| 39 | 22 Feb 2025 | Martin Bakole | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:15 | The Venue Riyadh Season, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO interim heavyweight title |
| 40 | 25 Oct 2025 | Fabio Wardley | Loss | TKO | 11 (12), 1:54 | The O2 Arena, London, England — ★ Title fight — Lost WBO interim heavyweight title |
Titles & notes
Major title reigns (start–end): WBO heavyweight title December 10, 2016 – March 31, 2018 (won the vacant title against Andy Ruiz Jr.; lost to Anthony Joshua); WBO interim heavyweight title March 8, 2024 – October 25, 2025 (won from Zhilei Zhang; lost to Fabio Wardley)
- 10 Oct 2013 vs Afa Tatupu: Won NZNBF heavyweight title
- 26 Apr 2014 vs Marcelo Nascimento: Won WBA-PABA interim heavyweight title
- 5 Jul 2014 vs Brian Minto: Retained WBA-PABA heavyweight title; Won WBO Oriental heavyweight title
- 16 Oct 2014 vs Sherman Williams: Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
- 6 Dec 2014 vs Irineu Beato Costa Junior: Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
- 5 Mar 2015 vs Jason Pettaway: Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
- 13 Jun 2015 vs Yakup Saglam: Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
- 1 Aug 2015 vs Bowie Tupou: Retained WBA-PABA and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBC-OPBF and WBO Africa heavyweight titles
- 15 Oct 2015 vs Kali Meehan: Retained WBA-PABA, WBC-OPBF, WBO Africa, and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBA Oceania and EPBC heavyweight titles
- 5 Dec 2015 vs Daniel Martz: Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title
- 23 Jan 2016 vs Jason Bergman: Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title
- 21 Jul 2016 vs Solomon Haumono: Retained WBC-OPBF and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
- 1 Oct 2016 vs Alexander Dimitrenko: Retained WBO Oriental heavyweight title
- 10 Dec 2016 vs Andy Ruiz Jr.: Won vacant WBO heavyweight title
- 6 May 2017 vs Răzvan Cojanu: Retained WBO heavyweight title
- 23 Sep 2017 vs Hughie Fury: Retained WBO heavyweight title
- 31 Mar 2018 vs Anthony Joshua: Lost WBO heavyweight title; For WBA (Super), IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles
- 28 Jul 2018 vs Dillian Whyte: For WBC Silver and vacant WBO International heavyweight titles
- 27 Feb 2021 vs Junior Fa: Won vacant WBO Oriental heavyweight title
- 1 May 2021 vs Derek Chisora: Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title
- 18 Dec 2021 vs Derek Chisora: Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title
- 24 Sep 2022 vs Joe Joyce: For vacant WBO interim heavyweight title
- 28 Oct 2023 vs Simon Kean: Won vacant IBF and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles
- 23 Dec 2023 vs Deontay Wilder: Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title; Won vacant WBC International heavyweight title
- 8 Mar 2024 vs Zhilei Zhang: Won WBO interim heavyweight title
- 22 Feb 2025 vs Martin Bakole: Retained WBO interim heavyweight title
- 25 Oct 2025 vs Fabio Wardley: Lost WBO interim heavyweight title
Photo: US Embassy Samoa via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). Featured image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Joseph_Parker_2016.jpg
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list), retrieved 2026-10-27.
