“I was quite surprised, the manner that he lost, and I called him after the fight, and I said: Hey, you all good?”
Last Updated: 08/09/20 4:01pm
Dillian Whyte suffered a dramatic loss to Alexander Povetkin last month
Joseph Parker says he would inflict more ‘damage’ on Dillian Whyte if they renew their rivalry following the British heavyweight’s shock defeat to Alexander Povetkin.
The New Zealander has revealed that he shared a phone call with Whyte in the aftermath of last month’s knockout loss to Povetkin in the finale of Fight Camp.
Whyte is set to face the Russian again in an immediate rematch, but Parker still wants to avenge his own points loss to the Brixton man in 2018, and is confident he could produce a destructive victory.
1:35 Whyte has vowed to defeat Alexander Povetkin in an immediate rematch
Parker told the Toe 2 Toe podcast: “He [Whyte] knocked him down twice and I thought, ‘This fight’s over,’ but that just shows in a fight, one punch can change everything and that’s exactly what happened.
“I was quite surprised, the manner that he lost, and I called him after the fight, and I said: ‘Hey, you all good?’ He answered the phone, he said he’s going to come back stronger.
“We know that he’s a driven individual, and he’s got the rematch clause. I look forward to seeing the rematch and the outcome of that.
0:32 Whyte defeated Parker on points following a thrilling fight at The O2
“I lost to the better man [in the Whyte fight] on the day. I know I can beat him, though, so that’s why I’ve been calling for a rematch ever since, and I would love to share the ring with him again one day, because I know I could do some damage.”
Parker hopes to make an announcement within the next fortnight about an expected fight with fellow Kiwi Junior Fa.
The former WBO champion fought Fa four times in the amateur ranks, with the pair sharing two wins apiece, but Parker plans to employ far more aggression if they meet as professionals.
“Hopefully he signs the contract with his team and gets ready for it, because I’m keen to fight and I’m ready to go,” he said.
The 28-year-old wants to finalise a fight with Kiwi rival Junior Fa
“Listen, I feel like the approach is different now.
“In the past, I’ve been too safe and not taking the risks that I need. From now on it’s going to be a lot more aggression and you’ve got to throw punches to win. Hopefully it’s going to be a lot of combinations and punches in bunches.”
Victory over Fa would strengthen Parker’s position in the WBO rankings and he admits that Daniel Dubois, a different British rival, could stand in the way of his attempts to gain another world title fight.
Dubois extended his unbeaten record to 15 wins with a swift stoppage of Ricardo Snijders last month and could potentially face Parker in a WBO final eliminator, with Oleksandr Usyk currently next in line to receive a mandatory shot at Anthony Joshua’s WBO belt.
“I feel like there’s a big chance we can face each other,” said Parker. “He’s ranked No 2 now in the WBO, so he’s past me, I’m ranked No 3.
“You keep an eye on everyone that’s fighting, you keep an eye on the rankings, you keep an eye on the people coming up, the guys who have been there for a while.
“You never know in boxing, there’s match-ups can be made with anyone. I’m keen to fight anyone, I don’t care who it is.
“I’m in a position now where I just want to fight best, be involved in the biggest fights, and go out there and try and smash you so I can be champion of the world once again.”
An extended interview with Joseph Parker is on this week’s Toe 2 Toe podcast.
