JOSEPH Parker remains determined to become a two-time world champion, but will now be forced to extend his wait for a shot at heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
The WBO’s leading contender has firmly established his position, beating the likes of Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole in what has been a remarkable career resurgence.
Steering the ship, of course, has been former world champion and esteemed trainer Andy Lee, who insists that Parker’s next assignment must be for a major title.
Yet even so, it would appear that the New Zealander, who has not fought since February, may be left waiting in the wings for a short while longer.
Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs), has, after all, only just become a three-time undisputed champion, with his emphatic fifth-round stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois arriving at Wembley Stadium, London, last Saturday.
In that performance, the masterful technician showed that, even at the age of 38, his storied career could be far from over.
At the same time, though, there is no guarantee that, after spending a lengthy period of time with his family, the Ukrainian will jump straight into a fight against Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs).
In any case, Parker’s shot at the WBO strap should nonetheless materialise in the not too distant future, while his wait could largely depend on how long Usyk chooses to keep hold of the belt.
Lee, meanwhile, expects his man to remain out of the ring – not wishing to take any unnecessary risks against an Agit Kabayel, for instance – until the timing of his third stab at world honours becomes clearer.
“I’d love for him [Parker] to fight as soon as possible, but sometimes you’ve just got to hold your position,” Lee told Boxing News.
“He’s ranked number-one [with the WBO], and eventually he’s going to get his shot, so we’ve just got to wait and be patient.
“If it’s not the world title fight next, then he’ll still need to fight. But then again, there’s no one left for him to fight – he’s beaten all the contenders – so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
“[Parker is] very brave, and very mentally strong. He’s never turned down a fight with anybody, and that tells you a lot about his mentality.”
