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‘Keep the Momentum Going:’ Three Potential Opponents for Joseph Parker

Originally posted on Big Fight Weekend
By S Saadeq Ahmed | Last updated 12/24/23

Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) claimed a unanimous decision victory over Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) at “Day of Reckoning.” While many expected the New Zealander to capitulate against “The Bronze Bomber,” Parker beat the odds and won.

During the post-fight press conference, trainer Andy Lee emphasised the need to stay active. When asked by Big Fight Weekend about how active he wished to be in the coming years, Parker said that he wanted “to fight as many times as we can in a year.”

“This year, we fought four times,” he said. “It’d be nice to fight four times next year and keep the momentum going.”

A day after Parker dominated Wilder, Big Fight Weekend looks at three possible opponents for the New Zealander’s next bout.

The Future for Joseph Parker

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Three Potential Opponents for Joseph Parker: Daniel Dubois

It is highly unlikely that Parker will fight for a world title next, given the announcement that Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Furyare set to clash on February 17. This will mean settling for the next best options. One potential opponent Parker could face is Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs). “Dynamite” also fought on “Day of Reckoning,” stopping Jarrell Miller in round ten. Getting the two back in the ring against each other would not be hard for all involved. Additionally, it would allow the winner to further cement themselves in the rankings en route to an eventual title shot.

Frank Sánchez

Another fighter from “Day of Reckoning” is Frank Sánchez (24-0, 17 KOs, 1 NC), who stopped Junior Fa in the seventh round. “The Cuban Flash” is currently ahead of Parker in WBC and WBA rankings, though this may soon change given Parker’s upset win over Wilder. This would allow the former WBO champion to cement himself in the rankings. Given both fought on the same show – they could seemingly fight on a separate card.

Martin Bakole

Though he was not part of “Day of Reckoning,” Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs) has fought in Saudi Arabia before. His fourth-round stoppage of Carlos Takam took place on the undercard of Fury’s split decision win over Francis Ngannou. The Congolese heavyweight – has a higher ranking with the WBC and WBA than Parker. Given Bakole’s previous experience in Riyadh, bringing him over again should not prove difficult. Like Dubois and Sánchez, fighting Bakole would allow Parker to inch closer to another world title shot.

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