Boxing fans in Whakatane and Ohope were able to catch the Joshua-Parker fight this Easter Sunday morning thanks to an event hosted by the Ohope Chartered Club.

Around 150 people packed the club for breakfast to watch Kiwi fighter Joseph Parker take on British boxer Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, Wales.

Although Parker managed to last 12 rounds – the first fighter to do so against Joshua – it was the Brit who claimed victory on a points decision, and in the process gathered together all four major boxing world champion belts.

SunLive journalist Sam Gardner attended the breakfast, and says Parker put up a good effort that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

'I reckon his best round was Round Six, because he was attacking and getting some shots in. But by Round 12 you could tell he was getting tired.”

Ohope Chartered Club secretary/manager Trevor Hart says they had to apply for a special license to open, which limited the hours they could operate on Easter Sunday.

'As a community club we're all about looking after our community, and we knew people wanted to watch the fight,” explains Trevor.

He says it is sad Parker didn't quite get there – a feeling of disappointment shared by this morning's audience.

'But I think there was a bit of poor refereeing that didn't help.”

Trevor estimates around 75 per cent of those who came to watch the fight weren't club members. Each person paid $25 for a ticket, which included a full cooked breakfast while the fight played on the big screen.