Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker has arrived in Dublin to start camp with an announcement on his next fight imminent.
The New Zealander, who holds the WBO interim heavyweight title, is Oleksandr Usyk’s next mandatory challenger after a run of six straight wins since he was beaten by Joe Joyce in September 2022.
But it does not look like Parker will be facing Usyk next after the Ukrainian requested an extension on the negotiation period for the defence citing an injury.
Now The Ring can confirm that Parker is close to finalising a deal to fight another big name heavyweight for October 25.
Parker enjoyed an incredible 2023, racking up four wins, the last of which was a classy, lopsided points victory over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
But the momentum has slowed over the past 20 months, with only a victory over Zhilei Zhang and a two-round blowout against last-minute stand-in Martin Bakole.
Parker’s manager Spencer Brown recently said that his next opponent is likely to come from a three-man, all-British shortlist consisting of Daniel Dubois, Fabio Wardley and Derek Chisora.
In preparation for the clash, Parker has landed in Dublin and has already started training with coach Andy Lee with just eight weeks on Monday until the proposed fight date.
Due to his position as interim champion he would be elevated to full champion should the injured Usyk opt to vacate the belt. If so, Parker’s next outing would be the first defence of the belt.
If the fight turns out to be a defence of his interim title, a victory would then put him back to the front of the queue for a world title shot, nearly eight years after he lost his WBO belt to Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.
[Source: The Ring Magazine]
