British boxer Dillian Whyte has revealed he defeated Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker with a broken hand and broken ribs.
Speaking on an 'Off The Ball' podcast in the United Kingdom, Whyte claimed he suffered the injuries while sparring in the build-up to Sunday's bout at London's O2 Arena.
"It's funny, he hit me with a body shot in the first round - a left hook to the body - on the same spot where the rib was fractured," he said. "I thought, 'oh my God, here we go'.
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"I thought, 'every time he hits me and it hurts, I'm going to hit him back as hard as I can and generate as much as I can'."
Whyte knocked Parker to the canvas twice - the second with his broken left hand in the ninth round - and had to survive a withering final-round comeback from his rival for a unanimous-points victory.
Parker had Whyte on his knees inside the last minute, but the Briton stayed down and milked the count, as the seconds ticked by.
"I just thought about all the ups and down in life," said Whyte. "This was my moment and I wasn't going to let Parker take this moment from me.
"I was going to fight Joseph Parker two years ago, when he was world champion, but he didn't want to fight me. Now, all of a sudden, he's lost the belt and he wanted to fight me."
The adversaries have shown considerable respect for each other since the fight, with the Samoan community honouring Whyte with a ceremonial necklace after his victory.
Newshub.
