Waikato Times

Chisora perfect foe for Parker to help rebuild his ranking

- Sam Wilson

If Joseph Parker is serious about hanging up his gloves at 30 or 31, then 2019 looms as a crucial year in the 27-year-old’s boxing career.

Promoter David Higgins knows there’s little room for error over the next 101⁄2 months as he plots the former world champion’s route back to the heavyweigh­t summit.

That means picking the right opponents to guide the Kiwi up the various sanctionin­g bodies’ rankings and into the world title mix. Now that a proposed transTasma­n clash with Lucas Browne is off the table, Parker is in need of a credible foe to kick off the year and move him closer to a desired rematch with Dillian Whyte, who handed him a second successive defeat last July.

There is one man currently available who fits the bill perfectly – step forward, Dereck Chisora.

Earlier this week, top British promoter Eddie Hearn floated the idea of matching the rugged Brit with Parker on a April 20 card in London headlined by Whyte. It is an opportunit­y the New Zealander and his team should grasp with both hands.

At 35, Chisora may be the twilight of his career, but he remains a handful for anyone and retains a large fanbase in the UK for his all-action style and willingnes­s to take on all comers. He would be the perfect opponent for Parker to gauge his level at this point in his journey.

If the Kiwi can’t beat someone of Chisora’s age and status, then maybe it is time to call it a day.

After all, the Zimbabwe-born brawler has come up short every time he has been in with high-class opposition, save for his stunning eighth-round knockout of Carlos Takam on the undercard of Parker’s controvers­ial points loss to Whyte last July.

In 38 fights over 11 years, Chisora has tasted defeat nine times, including to Whyte (twice), former world champions Tyson Fury (twice), David Haye and Vitali Klitschko, and top contender Kubrat Pulev. On paper his record makes for unimpressi­ve reading, but Fury aside, Chisora has always been competitiv­e and given his opponents a rough night, only failing to go the distance on three occasions.

He has also had his fair share of bad luck, with many boxing scribes feeling he deserved the nod in his 2016 slugfest with Whyte, and in their recent rematch he was up on two scorecards before his bitter rival closed the show with a stunning left hook in the 11th.

That said, as a former WBO world champion Parker would have to start as a heavy favourite, and there’s no doubt he has youth, power and skill on his side against the comparativ­ely crude Chisora.

Yet Higgins is right to see the experience­d Brit as a ‘‘risky’’ propositio­n and he will want Parker to be well remunerate­d for returning to Britain, the scene of his two career defeats. But the Kiwi is short of options and a showdown with Chisora would be a popular – and profitable – fight.

The colourful Englishman has enjoyed a new lease of life since teaming up with former rival Haye, looking leaner and fitter against Whyte in December as he rededicate­d to his craft on the back of that explosive Takam win.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Joseph Parker needs to rebuild his ranking after consecutiv­e losses.
GETTY IMAGES Joseph Parker needs to rebuild his ranking after consecutiv­e losses.

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