Joseph Parker Happy To Stay Patient And Wait For Heavyweight World Title Shot
Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker insists he is happy to be patient and wait for his next world title shot, despite it likely being some time away.
Parker (35-3-0 23 KO) has resurrected his career over the past two years following what could have been a damaging defeat to Joe Joyce in September 2022. The New Zealander has reeled off five successive wins since then, including impressive victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, whom he beat via majority decision in March to become the WBO’s interim champion.
Parker is in arguably the form of his life – perhaps even better than when he was a world champion – but his last title fight was back in March 2018 when he lost his WBO belt to Anthony Joshua in a unification bout.
Despite his status as an interim champion, the New Zealander looks likely to have to bide his time before getting his next shot at glory.
Parker ‘Practicing Patience’
Undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in a rematch following their all-time classic last month in Saudi Arabia, and even if the IBF strip the Ukrainian of the title, the vacant belt is expected to be contested by Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua.
“It doesn’t frustrate me. I do want those fights, to be honest – I’m just practicing patience,” Parker told the Seconds Out podcast. “Whatever fight they put in front of me, I’ll take. I’ll fight anyone. And I have to keep proving that I know I’m the best.
“Whatever they put in front of me, I’ll take it, prove myself and move on to the next one. I do want to be involved with these big, big fights. Eventually it will come if I take care of business.”
One issue Parker potentially faces is if Fury wins the rematch. Not only will there be calls for a trilogy fight – further pushing back Parker’s hopes of a title shot – but Fury has already stated that he will never fight the New Zealander because of their close friendship.
Joshua Rematch The Target
Another route Parker could take, and one that’s more likely, is to campaign to face the winner of Joshua’s bout with IBF interim champion Dubois.
It’s a fight Parker says he wants, which would give him the opportunity to prove how much he’s improved since his wide points loss to Joshua in Cardiff four years ago.
“I feel like we’ve both grown as fighters,” Parker said of Joshua. “I have a lot more confidence with myself and I’m still defensive, but now I’m a lot more offensive.
“With Joshua, he’s coming off two good wins. He looks like he’s in form with [trainer] Ben Davison and he’s shown a lot more power, which is something I have to show myself.
“I think it will be a lot more aggressive fight; he won’t be looking for me and I won’t be looking for him, and I feel like it will be a lot more entertaining – a lot more punches thrown and a lot more punches landing on each other.”
Parker Makes AJ Favorite Against Dubois
As for the proposed bout between Joshua and Dubois, Parker is making AJ the favorite but insists ‘Dynamite’ should not be dismissed. Dubois won the IBF interim belt by stopping former holder Filip Hrgovic in the eighth round of their bout in the 5-vs-5 event on June 1.
“You always give any fighter a chance, but if you compare the two guys, the way they’ve been fighting and the power they’ve been showing, Joshua does look the favorite, and I’m sure everyone else would agree,” Parker said. “But you can’t count Dubois out, like a lot of people [did] going into the Hrgovic fight. I thought Hrgovic was the favorite.
“I was very wrong, and Dubois showed grit, determination and was very consistent with starting the rounds very fast, and he was able to just push him back and frustrate Hrgovic. I do give him a chance, but Joshua will be the favorite.”
