Joseph Parker responds to being snubbed by Oleksandr Usyk for world title fight
Joseph Parker is a frustrated man after admitting he may have to box at least once more before getting a crack at the world title.
The heavyweight star brutally dismantled Martin Bakole in quick fashion on Saturday night. Parker was supposed to fight IBF champion Daniel Dubois, but the Brit pulled out of his world title defence against the Kiwi after falling ill 48 hours before the first bell.
Bakole is regarded as one of the most feared fighters on the planet, but Parker was quick to accept the challenge. It’s fair to say the 33-year-old was on cloud nine after securing yet another big win inside the ring – and he even sent a message to Oleksandr Usyk. “Who’s next? Can I fight for the world title next? If Usyk wants a dance partner, I’d like to fight for the world title,” he said post-fight.
That said, the Ukrainian has dismissed Parker’s challenge as he has his eyes on Dubois. In an interview with Boxing King, he said: “I want the next fight with Daniel Dubois, undisputed.” When asked about the potential venue, the Ukrainian replied: “London, Riyadh Season, doesn’t matter,” before adding: Yeah, yeah. I’m ready, bro.”
Parker has been on quite the run recently after defeating Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and now Bakole. That said, he believes he may have to fight one more time, despite becoming the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO title. In an interview with The Herald, he said: “I think there’s going to be a fight with Usyk and Dubois lined up because everyone is talking about it now.
“Possibly I’ll have one more fight before fighting for the championship of the world. It sucks not fighting for the world championship. Since I lost it (the WBO title) in 2018, I’ve been working so hard to get back to fighting for the title. To get a chance to fight for it (the IBF belt, this against Dubois before Dubois fell ill), and then it vanishes in front of you two days before the fight…..At that time, I didn’t care because I was focused on the fight date and staying switched on for whoever was going to be in front of me, but now the [Bakole] fight is done, it doesn’t feel right.”
Reflecting on his win on Saturday night, Parker said: “For me, they’re great performances. There’s people who say they’re great wins and there’s people who say Wilder was past his best; Zhang is an old man; Bakole came in [at] late notice.
“You can’t please everyone, but that doesn’t matter as long as you’re doing what you think is right. I’ve been on a great run and I’ve turned my whole career around. I’ve dedicated my life to boxing. Working, building on strength, endurance – I’ve lifted to another level.”
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