Activity matters, as columnist/pundit Steve Kim likes to remind the boxing world.

Activity wasn’t the only factor in Joseph Parker’s upset unanimous decision victory over Deontay Wilder in the Day of Reckoning co-main event on Saturday but fighting only once (a bout that lasted less than a round) since October 2021 certainly did not help the feared American veteran’s performance.

Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3-rated heavyweight and one of the best pure punchers of the modern era, was simply not able to pull the trigger on his vaunted right hand against Parker, who won by scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-111.

Parker (34-3, 23 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5-rated heavyweight, took his time during the 12-round bout, applying careful pressure behind a stiff jab-to-the-body until he was in position to launch his overhand right.

Joseph Parker forces Deontay Wilder back during their co-main event to the Day of Reckoning event at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Parker, who fought his fourth bout of 2023, won each round simply by throwing and landing more leather, even though he didn’t often land cleanly and didn’t appear to hurt Wilder until the end of Round 8. Wilder, a former WBC titleholder celebrated for his trilogy with Tyson Fury, showed some aggression in Rounds 9 and 12, but remained on the move for most of the uneventful fight.

The KO artist was unable to find the one-hitter-quitter he blasted Robert Helenius with last October, and with this loss, he may have spoiled a huge showdown with Anthony Joshua that was being planned for March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the site for Saturday’s massive card.

With the victory, Parker, who was thought to be finished as a major heavyweight player following his 11th-round KO loss to Joe Joyce last September, is back in the mix and a strong candidate for the 2023 Comeback of the Year award.

“Dangerous fight, tough fight, but we trained really hard for this, and we had momentum coming into this fight,” Parker said. “The strategy was to stay calm, stay relaxed, stay focused.

“Maybe inactivity played a big part [in Wilder’s performance]. [My activity] helped me massively, that was my momentum, I stayed in camp and in shape [all year].”

Wilder admitted that his inactivity, as well as talk of the big Joshua showdown, may have put him off his game.

“My timing was off a little bit,” Wilder said. “Big up to Joseph, he did a great job avoiding my punches.

“[The talk of the Joshua fight] got to me just a little bit. We make no excuses. We’ll see what happens [next]. I’ve done a great job managing and investing my money. I’m a warrior, so I’ll be back soon, but if not, it’s been a pleasure. I’ve found peace and happiness in my life.”

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live most Sundays.

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