By Charles Brun: Joseph Parker’s manager David Higgins says he’s ready and willing to reschedule a fight with Dereck Chisora for February of next year. Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) had previously been signed to fight Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs) last Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, but he had to pull out due to a suspected spider bite.
Chisora, 35, called Parker out last Saturday moments after knocking out David Price in the 4th round at the O2 Arena in London. Dereck wants the fight with Parker to be rescheduled “ASAP.” However, Chisora’s manager David Haye says he wants to put a fight together with former unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who is the WBO mandatory to heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.
There’s more to gain obviously for Chisora fighting the unbeaten Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) than there is in battling Parker, who has lost two out of his last four fights.
Higgins ready for Hearn to make Chisora vs. Parker
“The onus is on Eddie Hearn to hopefully make it happen. The whole world wants to see it,” said Parker’s manager David Higgins to skysports.com about a Chisora vs. Parker fight. “Joseph is ready and willing and just needs a date and a venue. Yes of course, we’ll enter in to talks. That’s why we’re in business,” said Higgins.
Whether this fight happens depends on if Haye can get Usyk to face Chisora, because that’s the important match. Both fights are winnable ones for Chisora. Parker lacks aggression, and falls apart when fighting better opposition. Chisora would have a good chance of beating him by just being aggressive for 12 rounds.
As for Usyk, he clearly isn’t a heavyweight, and lacks the punch and the size to fight in this weight class. Usyk wasn’t a puncher at cruiserweight either, but at heavyweight his lack of power is quite obvious. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk isn’t blessed with a lot of hand speed to make up for his lack of power and size. Usyk is compared to smaller heavyweights in the past like Eddie Chambers, Chris Byrd and Jimmy Young. He’s not as elusive as Byrd, and not as powerful as Chambers and Young were.
Chisora willing to fight Parker next
“If we can get Joseph Parker ASAP, I’m ready to go,” said Chisora after his victory over Price last Saturday night. “I hope this time he doesn’t get a spider bite. I’ll try to make that fight with Joseph Parker ASAP. Let’s do it,” said Chisora.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s putting on a heavyweights card in February, and he wants to match Chisora with Parker or Usyk. Hearn’s preference is to have Chisora fight the 32-year-old Usyk. However, he says he was told by Usyk;s team that they absolutely want the world title fight next against the winner of the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch.
Usyk is likely going to need to wait for a title shot against the winner of that fight anyway, because the IBF mandatory is due as well. Ruiz holds that belt as well as the WBO. The IBF mandatory is said to be the next in line for Ruiz. So unless Usyk wants to sit on the sidelines until the second half of 2020, he really needs to consider staying busy by fighting someone like Chisora. It would be a risky fight for Usyk given his lack of power and size, but he can increase his popularity with the UK boxing fans if he faces Chisora.
Haye wants Usyk for Chisora
“I’d like the Oleksandr Usyk fight. He’s mandatory for the WBO,” said Chisora’s manager David Haye. “So if that fight can be done, it would definitely be a fantastic fight. It would put the heat on him, and we’d get ourselves a fantastic fight. If he fights Oleksandr Usyk, who’s the mandatory, then he’s right up there. He’s got a shot at the heavyweight titles. So for me getting Dereck into a heavyweight title shot is what he wants. So I’m going to do everything I can to get him there,” said Haye.
This is the obvious choice for Chisora to make in fighting Usyk rather than Parker. There’s a lot more upside for Chisora in fighting the former unified cruiserweight champion Usyk than facing Parker.
