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Joseph Parker Junior Fa was due to fight Saturday night, but the fight was postponed until late February or early March.
Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker has revealed that he is eager to get back in the ring to give Junior Fa “a punch” and predicted that Tyson Fury would beat Anthony Joshua after watching Joshua beat Kubrat Pulev by knockout on Sunday.
Joshua’s victory could spawn a mega fight with Fury that could help Parker regain his old WBO crown, but first Parker must beat Fa in the postponed fight of all Kiwi.
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Anthony Joshua hits Kubrat Pulev during their heavyweight title fight on Sunday New Zealand time.
“We’re looking at the end of February, the beginning of March,” Parker told iFL TV on Sunday.
“He was ready to go yesterday, but I guess the health of a fighter or a person is more important, so I hope he recovers soon so I can beat him up when he is better.”
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* Joseph Parker’s team ahead of possible title clash with Oleksandr Usyk
* Joseph Parker eager to face Oleksandr Usyk while the WBO belt is balanced
* Anthony Joshua fights the locals in the parking lot after remembering the opportunity to meet Tyson Fury
Parker and Fa were scheduled to meet in Auckland on Saturday, but a blood test from Fa ruled him out of the ring.
The postponement clearly frustrated Parker, who said he would have liked to have lined up another opponent.
“I’m still training, I’m in shape,” Parker said.
“As a fighter, what you train is a fight in the ring and obviously I want to be in the ring as soon as I can.
“If there was a chance to fight another opponent, I would have done it in the blink of an eye, but we’re stuck on contracts so it’s a Junior Fa fight that I have to get out of the way.”
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Joseph Parker trains with Tai Webster of the New Zealand Breakers.
Parker is already looking beyond the Fa fight, with one eye on Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk is the mandatory challenger for the WBO and any potential fight against Parker would depend on Joshua vacating the WBO belt to secure a fight with Fury.
Joshua knocked out Pulev in the ninth round on Sunday, but Parker was somewhat disappointed, backing Fury to emerge victorious if the two Brits finally meet in the ring.
“It’s a fight we must see,” Parker said.
“It is a fight that must be done and it is a fight where we would see a champion, a unified champion.
“I’m not sure what is holding it up, but I hope everyone comes to an agreement to make it happen so the world can see a mega, mega fight.
Al Bello / Getty Images
Joseph Parker says that Tyson Fury would beat Anthony Jushua.
“Fury wins that fight. I think he’s a very smart fighter and he can fight. “
In a message posted on Instagram after the Joshua fight, Fury accused Joshua of running scared and claimed he would knock him out “in three rounds.”
Parker agreed with that assessment, saying Joshua’s victory was more patient than explosive.
“I think he did what he had to do to get Kubrat out of there,” Parker said.
“You could see that he has worked on his uppercut.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Joseph Parker can see a way to regain the WBO title.
“I think he was patient and was choosing his shots. I mean, I thought I was going to get Pulev out of there earlier, because of the third round and what he did.
“But I guess he took his time and worked on his jab.”
When asked if Joshua had improved as a fighter since their fight in 2018, Parker said:
“I think it has improved in different ways. I have seen his interviews and he says he is better physically and mentally.
“I think there are some things that you can see that he has improved on and there are few things that you can see that he might need improvement.
“But all fighters will always have flaws, and all fighters will have things they need to work on.”
