Parker takes challenging year on the chin
When Joseph Parker was planning his 2018, standing in a Christchurch flooring showroom in December wasn’t on his agenda.
If Parker (24-2) needed a reminder his career is in a rebuilding phase, his humble surroundings yesterday served as a strong hint.
Standing amongst carpet, vinyl and timber flooring samples at the press conference for Saturday’s bout with unheralded heavyweight Alexander Flores – who barely scrapes into the top 200 – was not how the year was meant to play out.
But defeats to four-belt world champion Anthony Joshua (22-0) and a close and controversial loss to Dillian Whyte (24-1) have forced the hand of Parker’s promoter Duco Events.
In April, Joshua took Parker’s WBO world championship belt along with his undefeated record in Cardiff; in July, Whyte took most of the New Zealander’s rankings in London.
But Parker is backing himself to be challenging either Joshua or the winner of the rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury in 12 months.
‘‘I’ve given myself until the end of 2019. That’s when I want to be back fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world,’’ Parker told Stuff.
Parker acknowledges it was not part of the master plan to be back fighting in New Zealand this year but plan B allows him to fight in front of his home fans, which pleases him. ‘‘If it went differently, we would be somewhere else right now. We’d probably be in the UK now,’’ he said.
It’s would have, should have, could have stuff but Parker went within an inch of stopping Whyte in the 11th and 12th rounds – a result that would have quickly ruled out a year-ending fight in Christchurch against an unknown who is ranked 176th in the world on Boxrec.
Even Eddie Hearn, who promotes Whyte and Joshua acknowledges the closeness of the contest against Whyte.
‘‘Dillian was 10 seconds away from losing the fight with Parker,’’ Hearn told iFL TV this week.
Parker has learnt to accept the loss to Whyte that ‘‘changed the course of our path’’. ‘‘I’ve thought about it, I’ve dealt with it and it’s time for me to move forward. I can’t really dwell on it otherwise my mind will always be in the past,’’ he said.
But 2018 hasn’t been all bad for Parker.
It’s been the most lucrative year of his career, he fought in a unification fight in front of 78,000 fans that was watched by television audience of millions, he has established himself in the rich British market and in the eyes of most, remains a genuine contender firmly immersed in the top 10 heavyweights in the world.