12-07-2019, 10:55 AM
Joseph Parker eyes a long shot at WBO heavyweight title
Duncan Johnstone
Joseph Parker's management have put heat on the WBO to push the Kiwi heavyweight's cause for another world title fight.
Parker's manager David Higgins attended the WBO's annual convention in Tokyo to remind the authority of the former heavyweight's credentials, especially in the current volatile state of the division.
"Joseph Parker remains the only man to beat your champ Andy Ruiz," Higgins told the WBO championship and ratings committee.
"He's very grateful to the WBO and would like to challenge for the WBO title should [Tyson] Fury move out. He'd like to move up to No.3."
There's a theory currently doing the rounds that Parker, so idle in 2019, could be a major benefactor in 2020.
Joseph Parker wants to get his hands back on the WBO belt.
But the 27-year-old, who held the WBO belt from December 2016 when he beat Ruiz in Auckland, until March 2018 when he lost to Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, needs a fair few cards to fall his way.
All eyes are on the rematch between WBO, IBF and WBA champion Ruiz and Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (NZT).
The winner of that will under instant pressure to undertake mandatory defences of both the WBO and IBF belts.
If the winning fighter in Saudi decides to vacate the WBO belt and go down the IBF route, Parker could step up.
Parker has worked his way back to No 4 on the WBO rankings.
He sits behind Joshua, Fury and untested Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk who has surprisingly leaped into the No 1 position.
Fury has a looming rematch with Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt that might take him out of the WBO equation.
That would set up the chance of Parker taking on Usyk, a cruiserweight superstar who has stepped up to heavyweight, for the vacant WBO belt.
"If the belt becomes vacant, he would like to raise his hand and fight Usyk for the vacant title," Higgins said.
Parker is desperate for a fight. He has returned to Auckland from Las Vegas and is keeping fit, willing to be able to jump at any opportunity.
He still has two fights left on his lucrative three-fight deal with British promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
Hearn also felt that parker, rather than Dereck Chisora, could end up fighting Usyk.
"It's possible that WBO title could vacate and as I said at the conference, if that title vacates, then Joseph Parker is possibly the next available ranked fighter and could challenge Usyk to fight off for the vacant title," hearn told Sky Sports in the UK.
"If you recall, that's how Joseph won the heavyweight title, fighting off against Ruiz. History might repeat.
"If the cards fall the right way, we could potentially have Parker challenging again for a world title, as soon as next year perhaps."
Even if Ruiz beats Joshua and sticks with the WBO, Parker has a worthy challenge to offer given his history with the mexican-American.
Ruiz, the surprise winner over Joshua in New York in June, has spoken of his hopes to avenge that loss to Parker at some stage.
The result from Auckland still grates on Ruiz who is adamant he won what was undoubtedly a close fight that saw the judges hand Parker a majority points decision.
Parker is also ranked No 8 with the WBC and No 11 with the IBF.
Fellow Kiwi heavyweight Junior Fa is No 7 with the WBO.
China's Zhilei Zhang (21-0, 16 KOs) is pushing for a fight with Fa (19-0, 10 KOs).
Duncan Johnstone
Joseph Parker's management have put heat on the WBO to push the Kiwi heavyweight's cause for another world title fight.
Parker's manager David Higgins attended the WBO's annual convention in Tokyo to remind the authority of the former heavyweight's credentials, especially in the current volatile state of the division.
"Joseph Parker remains the only man to beat your champ Andy Ruiz," Higgins told the WBO championship and ratings committee.
"He's very grateful to the WBO and would like to challenge for the WBO title should [Tyson] Fury move out. He'd like to move up to No.3."
There's a theory currently doing the rounds that Parker, so idle in 2019, could be a major benefactor in 2020.
Joseph Parker wants to get his hands back on the WBO belt.
But the 27-year-old, who held the WBO belt from December 2016 when he beat Ruiz in Auckland, until March 2018 when he lost to Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, needs a fair few cards to fall his way.
All eyes are on the rematch between WBO, IBF and WBA champion Ruiz and Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (NZT).
The winner of that will under instant pressure to undertake mandatory defences of both the WBO and IBF belts.
If the winning fighter in Saudi decides to vacate the WBO belt and go down the IBF route, Parker could step up.
Parker has worked his way back to No 4 on the WBO rankings.
He sits behind Joshua, Fury and untested Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk who has surprisingly leaped into the No 1 position.
Fury has a looming rematch with Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt that might take him out of the WBO equation.
That would set up the chance of Parker taking on Usyk, a cruiserweight superstar who has stepped up to heavyweight, for the vacant WBO belt.
"If the belt becomes vacant, he would like to raise his hand and fight Usyk for the vacant title," Higgins said.
Parker is desperate for a fight. He has returned to Auckland from Las Vegas and is keeping fit, willing to be able to jump at any opportunity.
He still has two fights left on his lucrative three-fight deal with British promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
Hearn also felt that parker, rather than Dereck Chisora, could end up fighting Usyk.
"It's possible that WBO title could vacate and as I said at the conference, if that title vacates, then Joseph Parker is possibly the next available ranked fighter and could challenge Usyk to fight off for the vacant title," hearn told Sky Sports in the UK.
"If you recall, that's how Joseph won the heavyweight title, fighting off against Ruiz. History might repeat.
"If the cards fall the right way, we could potentially have Parker challenging again for a world title, as soon as next year perhaps."
Even if Ruiz beats Joshua and sticks with the WBO, Parker has a worthy challenge to offer given his history with the mexican-American.
Ruiz, the surprise winner over Joshua in New York in June, has spoken of his hopes to avenge that loss to Parker at some stage.
The result from Auckland still grates on Ruiz who is adamant he won what was undoubtedly a close fight that saw the judges hand Parker a majority points decision.
Parker is also ranked No 8 with the WBC and No 11 with the IBF.
Fellow Kiwi heavyweight Junior Fa is No 7 with the WBO.
China's Zhilei Zhang (21-0, 16 KOs) is pushing for a fight with Fa (19-0, 10 KOs).