In a rematch between two dominant heavyweights, Joseph Parker is putting it all on the line against Derek Chisora.
Parker, a former WBO Heavyweight Champion, faces Chisora in a rematch from their May 2021 bout. The fight will take place on December 18 from inside the AO Arena in Manchester. Parker beat Chisora via split decision in a fight that could have gone either way. At 29, Parker is one of the top contenders for the heavyweight title. He knows he must beat Chisora to continue that path.
Training with Andy Lee, a middleweight champion, Parker believes the two have found a way to take the fight.
"Andy and I have been working on a lot of things in camp and the goal is to go in there and look better, and win but win well," Parker stated before fight week began. "I can say that I am going to be more dominant, more aggressive, and that sort of stuff, but I just want to go out there and fight and I will let my actions do the talking for me."
A gold medalist in the Arafura Games and China Open, Parker made his pro debut in 2012. Parker would beat Andy Ruiz Jr. for the WBO Heavyweight Title and would defend it twice. He lost the title against Anthony Joshua and lost his next fight against Dillian Whyte. Since then, Parker has gone on a five-fight win streak, with Chisora part of that streak.
Chisora made his pro debut in 2007. A British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion, Chisora would challenge and lose to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC Heavyweight Title in 2012. Competing against a who's who of fighters including Tyson Fury, Kubrat Pulev, and Dillian Whyte, Chisora was on a three-fight win streak heading into 2020. He lost to Oleksandr Usyk in October 2020 and Parker in May.
Parker hopes there is no controversy in this rematch and wants Chisora to give his all. His ranking, his status, and his future in the sport are at stake.
"I want the best Derek Chisora. I got a hard pressure fighter in the first fight with Derek and I think that he’ll be looking to make little adjustments to improve, so I am looking forward to what he’s going to bring," Parker stated. "As long as I do what I can do it’s not going to go the distance, but I know he feels the same way. There’s no issues for me in the build up with a great camp and injury free.
"I like Derek and respect him, but this is not the time to be friends before the fight. I need to take care of business because my career is on the line here. He’s achieved a lot and I respect him, but that can wait until after the fight."
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