Former WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker has touched down in Ireland to begin training camp for his next fight in the Emerald Isle. Trained, of course, by Andy Lee, Parker’s decision on training camp quarters should come as no big surprise.
Three Big Names for Parker
As per a news story from The Ring, Parker will headline a London fight card on October 25, and his dance partner will be one of the following three “big names”: Derek Chisora, Fabio Wardley, or Daniel Dubois.
Parker, the WBO interim heavyweight champion, who is eager to secure his shot at the full champion, reigning four-belt heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, would be elevated to full WBO boss should Usyk retire without having defended against him.
Parker vs. Chisora, A Trilogy?
As Parker looks to both stay busy and risk his WBO mandatory slot, we fans are looking and thinking about which of the three names supposedly in the frame to fight Parker in October it might be. Parker said a while back that, although he respects Chisora, over whom he holds two wins, a third fight with Chisora doesn’t do anything for him or his career at this point, so we can probably discount Chisora as far as the October date.
Wardley, unbeaten and coming off that last-gasp KO win over Justis Huni, would absolutely make a good, interesting opponent for Parker. It would be a step up in class for Wardley, but perhaps one he and his team feel he is ready for.
The Unfinished Business with Dubois
Or could Parker and Dubois attend to some unfinished business in October? As fans know, the two were to have rumbled earlier this year, only for Dubois to pull out of the fight at the last moment, “Dynamite” going down with a virus. Parker saw (very) late-replacement action in the form of an overweight Martin Bakole, who stepped in after something like a mere 96 hours’ notice.
Dubois, of course, went on to fight Usyk in a return, with the superbly-skilled Ukrainian wiping Dubois, then the IBF heavyweight champ, out inside five impressive rounds. Dubois said just the other day that he will be back before the end of the year, and that his return will also be a “big fight.”
It would be one heck of a risk for Dubois if he did it, but might Dubois roll the dice, make a real statement, and fight Parker in October? If so, it would be some intriguing fight to watch play out, even though it would be some quick turnaround from Dubois, who would be fighting again a mere three months on from the Usyk disaster.
For Parker, the taking of a fight with Dubois would further cement his rep as a warrior who is willing to fight just about anybody. For Dubois, the taking of a (rescheduled) fight with Parker would give him the chance to get right back in the mix at the elite level.
Again, a risky fight for both men, and who wins if Parker and Dubois do get it on in London on October 25?