JOSEPH PARKER was left bloodied, battered and bruised after his defeat to rising heavyweight Joe Joyce.
The former WBO heavyweight champion was 11th round knockout Manchester melee on Saturday night.
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Parker30, was a bloody mess in the seventh round after a big left hand and sustained further damage to his face thanks to Joyce’s peppery jab.
Joyce’s lead hand broke the New Zealander’s nose, leaving him looking worse from wear after the fight.
Boxing fans were quick to comment, with one saying, “Joseph Parker’s face is scarred.”
Another said: “What a heart Parker showed after he got a nasty cut on his right eye.”
One commented: “Joseph Parker has never been beaten like this in his entire career.
“Joe Joyce fought and tore him apart. This is how heavyweight fights should be.”
Another said during the fight, “I can’t even imagine what Joseph Parker is feeling inside right now.
“He’s exhausted, has blood all over his face and has a man who eats everything he throws.”
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Beat against Joyce broke a two-fight win streak for Parker, who has no intention of wallowing in his first defeat.
He said: “It makes no sense to dwell on it, a loss is a loss, but you have to keep training and get back to work.
“If you think about it, that’s going to hold you back – it’s really just a fight.
“I’ll relax a little bit and when the time is right I’ll watch the fight and look at what we’ve done positively and negatively and work on it.
“It’s all learning.
“Even though I’ve been a world champion, I’m still learning as a fighter.”
Joyce, meanwhile, has his sights set on a showdown with the unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
The interim WBO title holder said in his post-fight interview: “Usyk, I’m very capable, let’s get started.”