New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker improved to 16-0 with his 14th knockout win, blasting out Australian veteran Kali Meehan in the third round today in Auckland.
Parker, 23, is making a name for himself in his home country, and has world level aspirations. There's still a lot of work to go there, but he has bombed out some familiar names, including Brian Minto, Jason Pettaway, Yakup Saglam, Frans Botha, and Bowie Tupou. Those aren't exactly top fighters in the sport or anything, but, you know, you've heard of them, probably.
Meehan, 45, hasn't been a serious fighter for quite a while, but he did win the "Super 8" heavyweight tournament last year, and followed that up five months later with a dominant decision win over Shane Cameron. The veteran falls to 42-6 (32 KO) with the loss.
Does Parker have top-level potential, or is he just another regional fighter picking up some hype with well-chosen opponents?