Joseph Parker recently shared details of a candid exchange he had with Oleksandr Usyk.
The two boxers attended the inaugural Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event in Italy this past April, enjoying prime ringside seats in Florence.
Parker, the former WBO heavyweight champion, took the opportunity at the event to try and persuade the undefeated Usyk to face him before Usyk retires from his likely Hall-of-Fame career.
However, the current top heavyweight contender reportedly dismissed the New Zealander`s challenge with a laugh.
In an interview, Parker recounted the interaction: “I saw Usyk in Italy recently. I went up to him and said, `Hey, you`ve got two fights left. Why don`t you fight Dubois and then fight me?` He just laughed it off. He didn`t really give a response.”
Parker`s disappointment over Usyk`s reaction was further amplified when the former two-weight undisputed champion later indicated potential interest in a trilogy bout with Tyson Fury.
He added: “Now I see he`s mentioning Tyson [Fury] and Anthony Joshua for his final career fight. Perhaps he`s prioritizing bigger, more financially rewarding matchups. I`m not entirely certain.”
Parker is currently the leading contender to face the winner of the Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois rematch, scheduled for July 19th at Wembley. This fight will determine the undisputed heavyweight champion, and Parker is the mandatory challenger for the WBO title.
However, Parker remains cautious, stating: “Frank Warren mentioned I might be next for the undisputed unification fight. But those were just comments; there haven`t been any actual discussions. For me, it`s only words right now.
It would be great to see something in writing, something concrete.
But as of now, it`s just talk.
If it does happen, I`d be absolutely thrilled.”
Oliver Croft