Joseph Parker has been welcomed back into the arms of his family in Auckland after his knockout victory over Martin Bakole in Saudi Arabia and has insisted he wants to get back into the ring as soon as possible.
Speaking to 1News this afternoon at Auckland Airport, where he was met by his wife Laine, their five children and his parents Sala and Dempsey, Parker said he had no idea who his next opponent might be but he wanted to stay active.
After his scheduled opponent Daniel Dubois, the IBF heavyweight world champion, pulled out of their fight in Riyadh citing a virus, Parker flattened replacement Bakole inside two rounds.
Logic would have dictated that Parker would fight Dubois or even WBO, WBC and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk next, but professional boxing does not follow such conventions and even before Parker stepped into the ring to save the co-main event there was talk of Dubois fighting Usyk instead.
His manager David Higgins, who was on the same flight home, mentioned the “convenience” of Dobois’ illness, with Parker adding when asked if he thought it was a real affliction: “Who knows? It may have been real, it may not have been real. I think it’s quite strange that they are looking at locking in the fight with Usyk. But it’s out of my control. What I can control is staying fit, staying ready, and when the fight comes I take it with both hands."
Parker, 33, and nearing the end of his career, said he would take a week or two off and then head back into camp to prepare for his next challenge.
“I had a long time off – nearly a year – and I only went two rounds,” he said. “I want to get back in the ring as soon as I can.”
Asked who he would like to fight next, Parker said: “It depends on what the people want. It depends on the promoters, the managers, [Saudi paymaster] Turki Al-Sheik. It would be nice to lock in a fight for the championship of the world.”
Previous foe and former world champion Anthony Joshua, perhaps?
“Joshua would be nice, but the goal is the championship of the world. Dubois or Usyk would be nice, but if there was no one else, there’s Joshua…
“You know who looked really good? [Agit] Kabayel. I just want to fight the best in the world. I just want to be involved in the top fights while I’m still in boxing.”
German Kabayel, who knocked out Zhilei Zhang, a former Parker victim, on the undercard in Riyadh is a big possibility to be Parker’s next opponent.
It would be a lucrative fight for both, and probably held on the undercard of a Dubois v Usyk rematch, but it would be hugely risky again for Parker, who was on the brink of a title challenge, only to have it snatched away, and now is probably on the brink of fighting for the undisputed world heavyweight championship.
The undefeated Kabayel is a similar fighter to Parker and did what the Kiwi and many others couldn't by stopping Zhang in six rounds in Riyadh.
As the WBO “interim” heavyweight world champion – effectively No.2 with that organisation behind Usyk – Parker is the mandatory challenger and so he would be risking it all if he agreed to fight another opponent before a possible match-up against the undisputed world champion.
Higgins told 1News that “discussions will start immediately, but Joseph wants to fight as soon as possible. It would be nice to get him out in July or sooner”.
Asked about the probability of Dubois now sidestepping Parker to fight Usyk, Higgins said: “It makes sense because it is a unification [fight], but you never know. The Saudis are obviously in control – there’s money and negotiations. You’d think it should happen, but it might not.”
Asked about former world champion Parker’s rejuvenation over the past couple of years, Higgins said: “He’s beaten three bogeymen in a row. In just over a year, he’s beaten [Deontay] Wilder, Zhang and Bakole. All three were feared and that’s quite unprecedented in the modern era – to string together those so-called upsets in a row."
Of Parker’s form, Higgins said: “It’s heartwarming to know someone for 13 years who has plied their trade, made mistakes, learned, had ups and downs… To see him fulfilling his potential at the highest level is very heartwarming for the team.”
As he prepared to leave for his home in South Auckland after a whirlwind last few days in Saudi Arabia, Parker said: “It will probably sink in soon – once we leave here and spend quality time with the family. All the hard work has paid off.”
Watch Andrew Saville's report on Parker's return home on 1News at 6pm
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