JOSEPH PARKER has announced he will fight Solomon Haumono in a 12-round contest on July 21 after securing a mandatory shot at the IBF world heavyweight title held by Anthony Joshua.
Parker outpointed Carlos Takam over 12 gruelling rounds on Saturday (May 21) in his native New Zealand to become Joshua’s mandatory challenger.
Joshua defends his title against unfancied Dominic Breazeale on June 25 in London, and will then fight again toward the end of the year, most likely November. That is the time his mandatory will be ordered, meaning a potential Joshua-Parker fight will most likely occur in early 2017, provided both stay unbeaten.
For now, Parker will take on countryman Haumono – who fights out of Austrlia – in Christchurch, New Zealand, hometown of Joseph’s trainer Kevin Barry.
Haumono, 40, is on a decent string of wins since being knocked out by Kevin Johnson in 2013, though Parker is a heavy favourite against him.
The fight will mark Parker’s third outing in 2016, and he also hopes to appear on Joshua’s undercard in November. Having fought five times each in 2014 and 2015, the 24-year-old is one of the most active heavyweights around.
