Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker hasn't exactly won over British fans with a controversial split decision victory over Derek Chisora in Manchester this morning.

Parker bounced back from an early knockdown in the opening seconds to finish the stronger of the two fighters.

One judge scored 115-113 in Chisora's favour while Parker took the split decision with two judges giving him 115-113 and 116-111 victories respectively.

Chisora was gutted with the decision.

"I bring everything and this is the treatment I get from boxing. I think they don't like me," Chisora said after the defeat.

British media

"The 116-111 was ludicrous but the fight was too close to be considered a robbery, even if Chisora was livid," wrote Riath Al-Samarrai for the Daily Mail.

"Parker settled into a rhythm with his superior skills and over the second part of the bout the New Zealander was able to pull level. Did he do enough to win, despite the knockdown? It is a hard one to answer, so calls for the rematch will have some momentum."

"It was an exhausting, rugged contest with Chisora bringing the heat early, closing the distance and pursuing his rival into close quarters combat on the inside," Gareth A Davies wrote for the Telegraph.

"It was a messy affair in parts, Chisora man out-working and out-hustling Parker for much of the fight with his trademark come forward style, but it was Parker who claimed the victory by split decision 115-113, 116-111 on two of the cards, while Chisora was seen as the winner 115-113 by one of the judges," he added.

"Former WBO world champ Parker was on his bike most of the time, failing to implement whatever tactics new trainer Andy Lee had planned," the Sun's Wally Downes Jr wrote.

"Parker had no answer for Chisora's relentless peekaboo style and even when he made a bright start to the third, it was wrecked by a looping club of a right hook.

"Chisora's new trainer Buddy McGirt told the warhorse to keep whipping Parker's ribs with body shots before the fifth started and he slashed red marks into the New Zealander's torso on command.

"The cordial combatants touched gloves before the crescendo but then Chisora banged in one last haymaker.

"But Parker somehow found the oxygen to smash a couple of skull-shuddering blows back until the bell halted the brilliant brutality."