Joseph Parker
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12280406
Reply
Blow for Joseph Parker as Dereck Chisora sets his sights on Oleksandr Usyk instead
08:57, Nov 08 2019

Dereck Chisora appears ready to move on from a proposed showdown with Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker as his team chase a potential WBO title tilt against Oleksandr Usyk next year.

The British slugger was scheduled to face Parker in London last month but the New Zealander pulled out because of illness following a suspected spider bite.

Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs) went on to demolish late replacement David Price inside four rounds and immediately called out former WBO world champion Parker after the fight, much to the Kiwi's delight.

But Chisora's manager David Haye now seems keen to put the Parker fight on the backburner as he revealed to Sky Sports in the UK that unbeaten Ukrainian star Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) was "interested" in fighting his man should the WBO title become vacant.

Former cruiserweight king Usyk is the WBO's mandatory for the winner of next month's rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr, in which the the IBF and WBA belts will also be on the line in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

The winner of that highly-anticipated clash will have Usyk and Kubrat Pulev as mandatory challengers, so may be forced to vacate one of their belts. Haye believes Joshua and Ruiz will be keen to avoid the skilful Usyk and may vacate the WBO crown, with Chisora a likely opponent for the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist.

Joseph Parker is keen to reschedule his cancelled fight with Dereck Chisora after pulling out due to illness.
Haye told Sky Sports that "Usyk's people have been in contact with [Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn] to say they are interested".

"The WBO have a convention in Tokyo where I will lobby them. The WBO want exciting fighters, and it makes sense for them to sanction Usyk v Chisora."

Chisora captured the lightly-regarded WBO intercontinental title when he stopped Price, which could see him enter the organisation's rankings.

Dereck Chisora made short work of David Price and has now set his sights on a WBO title shot next year.
Fellow Brit Tyson Fury is currently No 2 in the WBO rankings, behind Usyk, but give that he is targeting a rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder, a shot at their title could become available.

"My gut says the WBO [will be vacated] because Usyk is a tricky customer," Haye told Sky Sports. "I believe Joshua will go the Pulev route, a bigger guy who will stand and fight, rather than the Usyk route."

Usyk made his debut at heavyweight last month, stopping American journeyman Chazz Witherspoon inside seven rounds. Having unified all four titles at cruiserweight, he was immediately installed as the WBO's mandatory challenger when he decided to move up in weight.

Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk is the WBO's mandatory challenger and "interested" in a Dereck Chisora fight.
Speaking 10 years to day since he captured the heavyweight title with a majority decision win over Russian giant Nikolai Valuev, Haye talked up Chisora's chances of matching his achievement.

"Derek has more of a shot of achieving that goal [of becoming heavyweight champion] than I did, if you look back to 2004," Haye said.

"It has always been a dream to guide a fighter to winning the heavyweight championship, after I did it myself. This is a target that I believe I can achieve.

"Myself and Evander Holyfield are the only two to win the cruiserweight and heavyweight championships. Usyk would potentially be the third man to ever do it, so I'd like to stop that!

"Whether it's Chisora's next fight or the fight after, it will be for a world title. Imagine Chisora winning a world title? What a turnaround."

Chisora has fought for a world title once before, losing to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko on points in 2012. At the post-fight press conference in Munich, he was involved in an infamous brawl with Haye, which led to a grudge match that his now manager won by fifth-round TKO.

The news that Chisora plans to pursue Usyk will come as a blow to Parker's team, who had hoped to reschedule the cancelled fight for February.

Parker is a one fight into a three-fight deal with Hearn's Matchroom Boxing and is desperate to get back in the world title mix. The Aucklander has only fought once this year, stopping tough Samoan-Australian veteran Alex Leapai in the 10th round back in June.
Reply
I think its still more realistic that Del and JP fight early 20.
the usyk fight is depending on WBO stripping its champ... otherwise no point in fight
Hopefully JP gets a meaningful fight early next year whether Del or someone else in the rankings
Reply
So, assuming it's not Chisora, who is the best match-up for Parker in early 2020?
Reply
I would have said Molina as they tried before but he is fighting on AJ undercard I think. I suppose to it comes down to which organisation he feels gives him the best shot at a title which then brings more factors into selection, but just on a reasonable new year opponent..
Trevor Bryan
Charles Martin (has fight in dec)
Tom Schwarz
Otto Wallin
Reply
Good choices:

Trevor Bryan: you picked my boy. 30 years old, and hasn't fought in a year and a half and ranked #1 fighting nobody's. Call Don King and make that fight!

Charles Martin: forget it. Don't like him.

Tom Schwartz: Another excellent pick. Only loss was to Fury but he only fights in Germany and is well protected. Another Make that Fight!

Otto Wallin: Stocks have gone up since blooding Fury's face. Make that fight! He'll even fight Parker in Vegas.
Reply
How about Adam Kownacki?  He beat Martin, and is undefeated, and ranked higher than Parker except by one ranking in the WBO.  Plus, he is ranked in the top 5 in all the alphabets, can bang, and is a great match-up for Parker:

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/512994
Reply
Yeah he highly rated ..might be abit tough for start of the year given JP has only fought Leapai
Maybe 2nd fight of 2020 although his contract with Hearn was 3 fights?
Reply
Yeah, so Kownacki can be Hearn's third fight. But I think Parker HAS to fight someone in the top 15 at least in his next fight. Being inactive for so long after fighting Leipai is not a good look. Really hurt him not fighting Chisora.
Reply
Boxing: Fit-again Joseph Parker promises knockout defeat over Derek Chisora
18 Nov, 2019

By: Patrick McKendry
Sports writer

New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker has promised to send Derek Chisora into retirement with a knockout defeat in front of his London supporters – if he gets another opportunity.

But Parker, who pulled out of a fight against the Englishman last month following a spider bite in Las Vegas, knows that the chances of a re-scheduled bout against Chisora happening are decreasing now that the undefeated Oleksandr Usyk has suddenly come into the mix.

Parker's promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, has told Parker and his team to expect news of his next fight within a week.

For Parker, Chisora's next move should be obvious – a fight against him – but Usyk's status as the No1 contender to Andy Ruiz Jr's WBO world title clearly appeals to Chisora and his promoter David Haye. Parker is ranked No4 by the WBO, with fellow Kiwi Junior Fa ranked No7. Chisora is not ranked in the top 15.

"He hasn't won a world title, Chisora, so I think they are trying to look for the fastest and the best way of getting there, and they think Usyk is the best way of getting to a world title," Parker told Sky Sports UK.

"But firstly it doesn't make sense, because he's not ranked and there's a lot of guys ranked before him. I'm not sure why they want that fight.

"Obviously the fight was locked in for us both and I couldn't control what happened with the illness, but I want to reschedule the fight. I'm healthy, I'm fit, I'm ready to go. I know I can smash him, I know I can beat him. He's going to bring a lot of pressure, but I know I've got better boxing skill and better movement than the other guys he's faced.

"I told him before that I will retire him and I'll be his last fight. Lock in the fight, I'll put in a great show. He will get his money that he wants, but I will put him into retirement. He's had a good career."

Higgins told the Herald that Haye, a former heavyweight world champion, had muddied the waters for Chisora.

"The obvious fight is Derek Chisora, who has been calling out Joseph for two years. There's a saying styles make fights and the consensus is that will be a cracker of a match-up – certainly the fans have been looking forward to it for a long time.

Joseph Parker has two fights left on his deal with Matchroom.
"But enter the fray David Haye, a man I admire - but he's a master thief of the heavyweight division… he somehow stole the heavyweight title in a bizarre spectacle involving a giant somewhere in Eastern Europe. He's a master at the politics of boxing and ingratiating himself in the money side of it. One minute Parker v Chisora is all on and the next Haye has lurched the other way and he's chasing Oleksandr Usyk."

Higgins added: "If Chisora isn't the opponent, we won't care. Others will be put up and Joseph will end up fighting someone else. He'll get the win, bank the money and move on. But the Chisora fight makes perfect sense."

Former world champion Parker, 27, who has two fights left on his deal with Matchroom and Hearn, last fought in June when he stopped Alex Leapai in Providence, New York. He is likely to fight again in February or March.

WBO champion Ruiz Jr is scheduled to fight former champion Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia on December 7. Parker is the only man to have beaten Ruiz Jr, who beat Joshua in a massive upset in New York in June.

A further complication is that the winner of the Ruiz Jr v Joshua rematch may elect to vacate his WBO title in order to defend his IBF title against mandatory contender Kubrat Pulev. That means Parker's high ranking with the organisation could work in his favour over the next 12 months with another title shot not out of the question.

WBO rankings
Champion: Andy Ruiz Jr (USA/Mexico)
1. Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
2. Tyson Fury (England)
3. Anthony Joshua (England)
4. Joseph Parker (NZ)
5. Adam Kownacki (Poland)
6. Tyrone Spong (Netherlands)
7. Junior Fa (NZ)
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 34 Guest(s)