After missing out on his shot at an undisputed fight, Joseph Parker has sent out a warning to Oleksandr Usyk after the Ukrainian made it clear he wants to face Deontay Wilder next.
Usyk and Parker seemed poised to collide just weeks ago, as the New Zealander held the WBO Interim heavyweight title and was thus the mandatory challenger for the full WBO title – held by Usyk at the time.
However, Parker’s surprise defeat to Fabio Wardley has seen those plans ripped apart and Usyk has since opted to vacate his WBO title rather than face the Briton, with Wardley consequently being upgraded to WBO world champion.
Speaking to Boxing King Media, Parker explained why he believes Usyk was not interested in a showdown with the undefeated Ipswich fan-favourite.
“He wants to fight the [biggest] names of this era. I guess, if he looks at Fabio Wardley, he is a new name or a name coming through.
He is a champion of the world now, but he is still one of the new crop and I think Usyk is saying that he wants to fight everyone who was dominating the heavyweight division in his time.”
Instead, next on Usyk’s radar appears to be Wilder, despite the fact that the former WBC champion has lost four of his six professional contests since 2019 and was convincingly defeated by both Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
Yet, regardless of his form, Parker maintained that the punch power of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ gives him a chance against anybody.
“Wilder will always have a chance [against anyone, including Usyk]. He always has that big right hand that he possesses.
“It’s all up to Usyk, really. Does he want to stand there and get caught with the right hand or is he going to come out and showcase his boxing skills; his movement, his angles and everything else that he has been showing in his fights?”
The WBC have since confirmed that Usyk is able to make a voluntary defence of his title, opening the doors for a showdown with 38-year-old Wilder, where Usyk could return to fight in the United States for the first time since his heavyweight debut.
