Oleksandr Usyk’s dismantling of Daniel Dubois at Wembley last Saturday night once again showed the world that he is the best heavyweight boxer in the world, and after fully knocking off all of Britain's big name fighters, some even twice, his next fight looms, but the decision over who is a big question fans are desperately waiting to find out. Usyk himself put three names into the atmosphere, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Joseph Parker, two box office bouts, and one bout the boxing world is desperate to see.
Usyk is bound to pull in numbers with any fight he takes, but the recent box office bouts with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois have often been labelled as ‘fights for the average fan’, and most hardcore fans want to see a proper fight, not one easily targeted for box office. And as much as some would love to see another Fury vs Usyk after two very close fights, and a return for AJ against the Ukrainian would be an interesting, and exciting bout, they are futile fights that mean nothing, and are simply fights which Usyk has proved are no threat, and a re fights purely for viewership and money, not legacy.
So, who meets the billing, and who ticks every box to challenge Oleksandr Usyk? It seems New Zealand's very own, and current interim WBO title holder Joseph Parker is the perfect option. A fresh new challenger for Usyk, and somebody who may have something different to offer than Fury and AJ. Parker who beat the heavy hitting Deontay Wilder back in December of 2023, and then went on to defeat Zhilei Zhang to earn himself the interim WBO title back in March of 2024 has shown his courage and passion to reach the very top, and with most believing he has more than earned his opportunity to face Usyk in the ring, he could be next in line.
Parker has a chin like most of Usyk’s opponents have lacked, resilience and durability to tank heavy punches, and something vital for a fight against Usyk is stamina, something Parker has in bunches, something other opponents have massively lacked. His toughness has often been enough to tire opponents, and has a similar style of patience and striking rate to Usyk, making the fight an interesting one on paper. Although having a long career, his striking patterns, and boxing IQ can often be a disadvantage to him, and against Usyk is a problem he will capitalise on. But, strengths and weaknesses aside, Parker meets all the criteria to be Usyk’s next challenger, and would be a great fight for boxing itself. Not hyped up former superstars who keep coming back for more, no more massive money fights, and no more big name has been. Usyk deserves a challenge, and Joseph Parker may have the credentials to give him a solid fight.
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