Joseph Parker

[bart]

Yeah step up from Leapai as active fighter who showed good stamina and wont fall over . still hope to see tko

[justafan]

Smokescreen or someone else?
Joseph Parker's manager can't rule Mariusz Wach in or out for Texas bout
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/combat-sports/118989514/mariusz-wach-claims-to-be-fighting-joseph-parker-in-texas-bout

[diehard]

Joseph Parker's manager can't rule Mariusz Wach in or out for Texas bout
Mat Kermeen

Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker works the pads with power during a training session at his Las Vegas base.
Joseph Parker is yet to have an opponent confirmed for his February fight in Texas despite former world title challenger Mariusz Wach (35-6) claiming it will be him.

Wach has appeared on Polish TV to claim he will fight Parker on the undercard of Mikey Garcia's welterweight clash with Jessie Vargas at the Ford Centre in Texas on February 29.

It has been widely known for some time that Parker (26-2) will make his first appearance of 2020 on the Matchroom Boxing card and the Polish veteran claims he has agreed to terms to fight the Kiwi heavyweight next month despite the contract not yet being finalised.

Joseph Parker is waiting for an opponent to be confirmed for next month's fight in Texas.

Joseph Parker is waiting for an opponent to be confirmed for next month's fight in Texas.
"I said yes and we are waiting for documents to be signed. I will sign and send it back," Wach told TVP Sport.

"I want to hurt him."

But Parker's manager David Higgins has told Stuff Wach is getting ahead of himself with the situation still fluid, however, he confirmed Wach is an option.

Mariusz Wach went the distance with Dillian Whyte in Saudi Arabia back in December.
"There's four names in the mix and he's one of them," Higgins told Stuff.

"Wach is by no means confirmed at this point in time. It would be wrong to assume it's Wach but it would also be wrong to assume it isn't," Higgins said.

He was keeping the other three options close to his chest but said confirmation of the opponent is imminent and it could come as early as this weekend.

Higgins said there was still water to go under the bridge given the process involved many parties such as Parker, his trainer Kevin Barry, Matchroom Boxing - who promote Parker - and the Matchroom matchmakers plus the opponent's representatives.

"If someone is pricing themselves out then you go for someone else, there's all sorts of issues that come in to play," Higgins said.

Wach lost a one-sided unanimous decision to former heavyweight ruler Wladimir Klitschko way back in 2012.

His last fight was another unanimous decision loss to Dillian Whyte - who beat Parker on the cards midway through 2018 - on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's redemption victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia back in December.

At 40 and with 41 professional bouts under his belt, Wach is past his prime but he was game against an out of shape Whyte and if the fight does go ahead he should at least give Parker, the former WBO heavyweight champion, some decent rounds as the Kiwi boxer looks for a more meaningful fight later in the year.

Parker only fought once in 2019 and that resulted in a 10th round stoppage of Alex Leapai in the US.

Stuff

[mippy]

They need to sign someone soon. Wach says he'll only get 4 weeks of sparing?

[diehard]

Mr Higgins said an opponent will be announced this weekend. I'm hoping whoever is picked is already in training for a fight.

[bart]

Usyk v Chisora announced 28 march non title
Seems deal is done for Usyk v AJ after Pulev
So no title fight for JP

[Kiwi]

Yep. Seems you are right, Bart.

Parker remains in no-mans land.....

[craigyid14]

It's good that Parker's not getting a free title shot, beating a couple of guys outside the top 100 when other heavyweights have been putting in the hard graft and fighting fellow 'contenders'. Parker is about 10th in line at best, I bet he still fights another gimme'. What a waste.

[bart]

Craig likely he fights Wach next after his lay off, but that means 1 fight left for EH to make some $$ so the 3rd fight has to be legit. Otherwise they negotiate another fight or part ways.
I think by fighting Wach Eddie will try build Whyte v JP 2 as a PPV at the O2

[diehard]

Joseph Parker's long term future unclear with Oleksandr Usyk fight unlikely
Mat Kermeen

Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker works the pads with power during a training session at his Las Vegas base.
Aspirations of gaining a shot at his old WBO belt within the next year are fading fast for Joseph Parker.

About as quickly as the mooted fight with Oleksandr Usyk, that could have brought that opportunity, is falling off the radar.

The Kiwi heavyweight will fight in Texas on February 29 - possibly against Mariusz Wach who is one of four options - in a fight Parker is expected to win comfortably.

Joseph Parker won the then-vacant WBO heavyweight title with a majority decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr.
Beyond that contest, on the undercard of Mikey Garcia's welterweight clash with Jessie Vargas, the future is murky.

Talk of a fight between Parker (26-2) and the undefeated Usyk (17-0), a former cruiserweight king who held all four major world title belts before moving up to the big boys division, has been doing the rounds due to the possibility of the WBO stripping Anthony Joshua because of his commitment to his IBF mandatory defence against Kubrat Pulev.

David Higgins is confident of a title shot for Joseph Parker but is unsure how it will materialise.
But Parker's manager David Higgins has told Stuff that now seems unlikely and ironically it's expected to be Usyk's team who will support the WBO granting Joshua an extension.

"If everyone agrees, the sanctioning body, promoters, managers then such an extension could potentially happen," Higgins said.

"Right now it's up in the air. It's going to be fascinating to see how it plays out."

Oleksandr Usyk won his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon last October.
If Joshua was forced to vacate his WBO belt it would open the door for Usyk and Parker - the number one and two contenders - to fight for the vacant title, an opportunity Higgins says Team Parker would jump at.

Higgins believes Usyk's team will be backing the extension on a risk vs reward strategy, aka money.

Talking in hypothetical figures, Higgins says Usyk could fight Parker for a vacant title for US$5 million when a title challenge against Joshua could possibly earn him somewhere around US$10 to $US15 million.

Joseph Parker will fight in February but his future beyond that is
murky.

Joseph Parker will fight in February but his future beyond that is murky.
Higgins, who has a relationship with Usyk's manager Egis Klimas, says it's likely Usyk and his team will protect their mandatory position by taking a tune-up fight and wait for Joshua, in all likelihood, to dispatch Pulev.

"I think the problem is that Usyk sees Joseph as high risk, styles make fights, Joseph is well suited to Usyk so I'd say Usyk would rather not fight Joseph.

"I'm not saying Usyk is scared of Parker but it's a risk hurt business and Usyk's camp would see Parker as too high risk before Joshua, that's what I'm suggesting," Higgins said.

Joseph Parker's last fight was a one-sided win over Alex Leapai.
Higgins says he is full of respect for Klimas who he rates as "a bit of a genius" when it comes to the business side of boxing.

There might not be a clear path for Parker to a world title shot right now but Higgins says the chances are it will happen within 18 months.

"You can't plan two years ahead in boxing because it's fluid. The rankings change every day, upsets happen, injuries happen, opportunities come out of the blue," Higgins said.

"For Joe, you can't predict his future, there's no crystal ball, all you can do is keep as fit as possible and fight ready and keep winning and the title shot will come."

He highlighted Andy Ruiz Jr - who Parker beat to win his WBO crown - receiving a late call up to fight Joshua at Madison Square Garden and causing one of the biggest upsets since James "Buster" Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in 1990.

Many will argue Parker doesn't deserve another shot without another major scalp on his record.

His last credible victory came against Hughie Fury - who has since lost to Kubrat Pulev and Alexander Povetkin - way back in September 2017.

There was no shame in losing his belt to Anthony Joshua or his subsequent loss to Dillian Whyte but post those defeats Parker has only beaten fringe top 100 fighter Alexander Flores and a well past his use-by date Alex Leapai but the WBO ranking, plus a ranking of eight with the WBC and 12 with the IBF still place Parker in good stead.

"Provided he takes care of business and keeps winning the chances of him fighting for the title again within 18 months are good," Higgins said.

One name that could come back into focus for Parker is Dereck Chisora. It was tipped to happen last year before Parker withdrew from negotiations due to a spider bite.

Chisora has also been linked with Usyk but if the Ukrainian southpaw waits for his cash-cow in Joshua, Chisora and Parker could finally find themselves together in the ring.

Stuff