On December 10, 2016, Joseph Parker defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. by majority decision in a 12-round heavyweight world title bout for the vacant WBO championship at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Parker used movement, jab work, and better ring control to edge a very close fight, while Ruiz had success with pressure and inside punching, but Parker’s cleaner work down the stretch earned him the win on the scorecards (115–113, 115–113, 114–114).