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Sports correspondent & historian with |
New Zealand’s heavyweight boxing star, Joseph Parker, has been rewarded for two stunning victories in the past 12 months, with another shot at one of the more serious versions of the world title.
Parker made rapid strides in his first four years after turning to the “paid to punch” ranks as a 20-year-old.
Astute, Duco Events management propelled Joseph to a WBO heavyweight title fight in Auckland eight years ago against unbeaten Mexican-American Andy Ruiz.
David Higgins, Duco’s principal, often praised Parker. However, local boxing critics questioned the credentials of both contenders, suggesting the winner would just be cannon fodder for top fighters like Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury.
History always reveals the truth.
Joseph Parker won against Ruiz by split decision and then faced Joshua, who defended his IBF and IBO titles while aiming for Parker’s WBO belt.
Parker, at his peak, secured a decisive victory with scores of 118-110, 119-109, 118-110, solidifying his dominance in the heavyweight division.
He faced Ruiz, putting his belts on the line in what appeared to be a tune-up fight. In a surprising upset, Ruiz knocked down and stopped Joshua, with the referee ending the bout in the seventh round.
Parker took advantage of the rematch clause of the first bout to regain his heavyweight crown.
Meanwhile, Parker would lose his second fight in a row in 2018 to Dillian Whyte and drop down the ratings, seemingly headed to boxing obscurity.
A change of residence and trainer to Andy Lee in England saw Joseph claw his way up the rankings in spite of a loss to heavy-handed Joe Joyce in 2022.
The arrival of the Riyadh season, where Saudi Arabia is attempting to kick-start sporting tourism in their nation to counteract when oil reserves run out in the future, has opened doors for Parker.
The rulers are using Saudi Arabia’s current oil riches to establish it as the boxing capital of the world.
Parker returned to the big table of the heavyweight division 12 months ago, overcoming the odds to deal to the division’s wrecking machine, Deontay Wilder.
In a further Riyadh curtain-raiser in March this year, he laid down his title credentials in beating the huge Zhilei Zhang.
The past few months have been frustrating for the Parker camp, as he has watched from the sidelines while other contenders vie for titles and financial rewards in the Riyadh season.
He will face Daniel Dubois at the Kingdom Arena Stadium in Riyadh on February 22, 2024, for the IBF World Heavyweight Championship belt.
Parker has greatly improved since winning his first world heavyweight title in 2016 and could emerge victorious in a toe-to-toe battle with Dubois for the IBF heavyweight crown.