Joe Joyce has called for a rematch with Joseph Parker.
Joyce is looking to rebuild after his consecutive losses to Zhilei Zhang. Those defeats resulted in him losing his WBO Heavyweight Interim Title, meaning he was no longer a mandatory for the winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. It also meant Joyce missed out on lucrative fights in Saudi Arabia.
Parker’s career is on an upward trajectory. He has beaten Deontay Wilder and Zhang in his last two fights. The heavyweight dominated Wilder in a one-sided unanimous decision. But he had to overcome two knockdowns to beat Zhang via a majority decision. Given that Joyce had beaten Parker the first time, he was willing to give him another shot.
Joyce On Parker
“Great work, Joseph Parker. Beat Zhang again, and let’s run it back! THE JUGGERNAUT,” Joe Joyce said
Nevertheless, Parker’s eyes are elsewhere. He has made it clear that he will rematch Zhang, given there is a rematch clause. Parker is also the WBO Heavyweight Interim Champion. Fighting Joyce does nothing for Parker’s legacy, given that it is a risky fight with no reward. Parker has also targeted a world title.
He is in a position to fight the winner of Fury-Usyk, throwing up an intriguing fight. Parker is a stablemate of Fury, having sparred together. He also was introduced to his current trainer, Andy Lee, through Fury. The two fighters have previously stated that they would never fight, given that they are close to each other. But that could change given the magnitude of the fight. Parker was open to exploring all possibilities.
Parker’s Plans
“When Tyson wins the fight with Usyk, and I’m in the position to fight for the WBO world title, if it’s going to make a massive change for my life and my family, we’ll do it. I reckon he’ll be like, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ So, he can look after both of us for the rest of our lives. I want to be world champion, and I want to fight the best, and I believe Tyson is the best. If it’s Tyson, we’ll have a quick word and see where we end up. We’ll see,” Parker stated
But before Joyce can even think about facing Parker, he must overcome Kash Ali in his next fight in May. It is a crucial bout for the heavyweight, as another defeat will increase the calls on him to retire. Ali is not the biggest name, but he does have a respectable 21-2 record. His last bout was a decision loss to Bohdan Myronets. However, given the huge opportunity at hand, Joyce must not overlook Ali. Based on Ali’s prior comments, he is ready to grasp the opportunity with both hands.
“He is top ten in the world still. He has had good wins over good fighters, people like Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois, and look what they’ve just done. There’s not too much of a difference between the top heavyweights. Once you’re in the mix you’re in that mix and anyone can beat anyone I believe,” ” Ali revealed
More must-reads:
- NFL team executive expands on what Browns' Shedeur Sanders did wrong before draft
- Insider suggests four-time Pro Bowl option for Steelers if Aaron Rodgers doesn't sign
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft' quiz
- The best selection each NFL team made in the 2025 draft
- Packers Discussing Reconciliation With CB Jaire Alexander To Keep Him In 2025