Joseph Parker

[diehard]

Rankings reward for New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker
Duncan Johnstone

Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker looks slick in training as he prepares for a big year.
Joseph Parker's recent win has resulted in a decent rankings lift for the New Zealand heavyweight.

Parker recorded an impressive TKO victory over North American champion Shawndell Winters in Texas on March 1.

The various organisations have reacted positively to his first effort of 2020.

Parker has lifted three places with the IBF to be ranked No 9 there. He also went up one place to No 6 on the WBC's updated rankings.

Winters, who was ranked No 14 by the WBA, has disappeared off their top 15 following his humbling loss to Parker inside five rounds.

Parker's win will also have preserved his crucial No 2 ranking with the WBO where he sits behind Ukrainian star Oleksandr Usyk and their champion Anthony Joshua.

With pressure on Joshua to defend or vacate the WBO belt, Parker is well placed to have another crack at that organisation's title which he held from 2016-18.

On the independent rankings, Parker is at No 7 with the respected Ring magazine and up one place to No 12 at Boxrec.

Parker is eager to press on now and stay active after such a flat 2019 that saw him fight just once.

But, with his fitness looking good and his confidence boosted by his show-reel demolition of Winters, the coronavirus pandemic is now his biggest handbrake with restrictions over major sporting events around the world placing huge question marks over agreed and potential fights.

Parker's busy British promoter Eddie Hearn is already scratching his head at how he will manage a backlog of fighters who will have their schedules affected.

He has had to postpone three major British promotions involving international fighters, including the Newcastle event that features New Zealand's WBO women's light-heavyweight champion Geovana Peres defending her title against England's Savannah Marshall. That is now due to be held on June 27.

There is talk of Parker taking on fellow Kiwi Junior, the WBO No 6, in a mid-year local derby that would help launch digital broadcaster's DAZN arrival in New Zealand.

But the planning of any events right now is fraught with problems given the uncertainties around health and safety issues.

Stuff

[bart]

https://www.facebook.com/659376097490503/posts/2886866384741452/?sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e

[diehard]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/combat-sports/120594651/kiwi-boxer-joseph-parker-shows-off-dance-moves-during-day-one-of-lockdown

[diehard]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/combat-sports/120621442/joseph-parker-finds-key-to-lockdown-fitness

[diehard]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/combat-sports/120645708/joseph-parker-tells-anthony-joshua-he-would-show-more-aggression-in-possible-rematch

[diehard]

Boxing: Joseph Parker opens up on early career struggles; predicts timeline for next world-title shot
29 Mar, 2020 1:00pm

Life as a professional sportsman is one full of challenges, and former heavyweight world champion boxer Joseph Parker has had his fair share.

Rising through the world rankings through the first half of the 2010s, Parker sent opponents back one after the other. By the end of 2015, Parker had amassed a 17-0 professional record with 14 wins by knockout. By the end of 2016, he was the WBO world champion with a 21-0 record.

Speaking to Radio Sport's Jim Kayes, Parker revealed that despite winning his fights he faced plenty of challenges and wasn't making the right decisions early in his career.

"Some of the camps I didn't take seriously," Parker admitted. "Even though I was winning the fights, I wasn't taking some of the camps seriously; I was going out when I shouldn't have been going out and had a few drinks here and there. I've had a few challenges throughout my career.

"I've had my ups and downs. I've had a lot of downs through my career that not many people know of. For me, born in South Auckland and all of a sudden training in Las Vegas, fighting around the world, it was something new.

"I had my challenges and I got through them; it's good learning. It's important to have a good team around you to keep you grounded and also give you advice and guidance on where you should be investing your money. You're not going to have it forever and you're not going to be earning forever."

The 28-year-old said it got to a point where his sister began to worry about him, but conversations with his family as well as the birth of his children helped him turn things around.

"I look back and wonder what the hell I was thinking and why I was doing it," Parker said. "Then I look back and say well that was the old me and I can have a laugh at it now. That's why I feel the second phase of my career is going to be a lot better because I'm way more focused and motivated."

The latter part of the last decade was full of opportunities and lessons for Parker. He defended his world title twice, before suffering his first career loss in a title unification bout against IBF, IBA and WBA (Super) heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is Wales in 2018.

Later that year, he suffered his second loss to Britain's Dillian Whyte, sending him back to the drawing board to find a way back into title contention.

Now, with three straight knockout victories to his name, most recently a fifth-round win over American Shawndell Winters in February, Parker can see the path back to a title fight.

That path would ideally include fights against at least two of Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, Britain's Dereck Chisora and a rematch against Whyte, Parker said, and he has a timeframe in mind in which he believed he could fight for the title again. However, that timeline will be on hold for the foreseeable future with the boxing world, like many sporting codes, halted by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

"I was happy to get a fight at the beginning of the year because now look what's happened, all the fights that had been booked have been pushed out," Parker said. "Now, hoping and praying that this settles down in due time, the plan for me – I've said it to the team, David Higgins and my management team, I've said it to Eddie Hearn – just give me anyone in the top five or top 10.

"I think that I can fight for the world title again, when this is done, it will take probably a year's time as long as they give me good opponents to fight I'll get there quite fast.

"I feel I can (be the best in the world). The reason I say that is because there's a lot of things in the past that I didn't do correctly in camp or I was going into camp not fit and not in shape and using it as a way to get into shape again. Now it's different. In my off time, I'm keeping in shape; I'm fit, strong and ready to go."

[diehard]

I knew it!  I knew it!  Parker and KB running their mouth about how this is the best camp ever, talking about JP's achievements in camp, when in reality he was just dogging it.  KB used to say the same thing about Tua when he was using the training camp to lose weight more so than get ready for his opponent.  

Now, in the above article, is JP telling the truth, or just throwing bullshit to the fans and media?  I'll know when I see his body shape come fight night, whenever that may be...

[bart]

think it just shows he growing up... learning from his mistakes and hopefully owning them.
In his last fight his body def looked matured and stronger so Im hoping he can muscle it up with the big boys.
After Kownacki falling Ortiz as well I think JP is in with a shot to fight a top 10 then all going well be close to a title.
As long as Fury doesn't beat AJ and keep the bets as Tyson said he won't fight JP...he may give him one belt lol

[diehard]

So, who would JP's best top ten opponent be? I don't see Fury beating Wilder, beating AJ, and then retiring like he suggests. But it would be the best scenario for Parker. Fury is certainly capable.

[bart]

I def would like to see a rematch with Whyte and poss Ruiz
Maybe Wilder?
Another ave is Helenius who gained by beating Kownacki? could fast track ranking