Joshua vs Parker: Done but not dusted...

It was interesting to watch the Joseph Parker (Samoa/NZ) vs Anthony Joshua (Eng) yesterday in front of a 78,000 - 80,000 capacity crowd in Cardiff, Wales and televised all over the world.

Although Parker didn't win the fight, he still made a lot of Samoans, New Zealanders and South Aucklanders around the world very proud. At the beginning of his entrance the crowd heard the sounds of the Maori haka then he walked in with two chiefly matai leading his entourage holding flags and showing their traditional tatoos (commonly known as pe'a).

He also had two anthems sung before the fight of: the Samoan anthem and the New Zealand anthem including both the Maori and English version as opposed to Joshua's anthem of "God Save the Queen".

There was also a big contingent of New Zealanders and Samoans in the crowd in seeing Parkers mother in the crowd and also at the end of the bout how Joshua met briefly, by the ring, with Parkers mother.

Although I'm not a huge fan of boxing i.e. two people trying to punch each other's lights out for a big chunk of money, it's also interesting how boxing has often been a platform for boxers to share their message i.e Mohammed Ali in the 1970s with his anti-war stance and in fighting outside of American soil i.e. in Africa for his 'rumble in the jungle.'

As in seeing Sugar Ray Leonard, another infamous boxer who watched the fight, saying that Joshua was good for the sport of boxing and then witnessing Joshua talk about how if their bout brought together a lot of people from different walks of life and nationalities in the stadium then it shouldn't stop there but to take that statement of unity back with them.

So although Parker lost his 0 losses up until that bout, he did say that he would go back to the drawing board and then come back for another title fight. Done but not dusted...