Joseph Parker's manager explains why he's "earned" rematch against Anthony Joshua
David Higgins believes Joseph Parker vs. Anthony Joshua 2 should happen.
The Australian and 'AJ' returned on the same card late last month in Saudi Arabia. In the main event of the DAZN pay-per-view card 'Day of Reckoning', Anthony Joshua scored a knockout win over Otto Wallin. The bout itself was supposed to be a prelude to March clash with Deontay Wilder.
'The Bronze Bomber' fought in the co-main event against the aforementioned Joseph Parker. There, the Australian boxer destroyed their plans, scoring a unanimous decision win over Wilder. Following the defeat, Eddie Hearn revealed plans to take the British boxer in a different direction as a result.
In recent days, the Matchroom Boxing executive has listed Zhilei Zhang, Filip Hrogovic, and Francis Ngannou as opponents for Joshua. David Higgins, Parker's longtime promoter, finds that a bit disrespectful.
Speaking in a recent interview with Sky Sports, Higgins stated that Parker earned a bout against Joshua. Given the fact that the Australian already lost to 'AJ', it might not be the most hyped fight. But based on merit, it should happen.
In the interview, the promoter stated:
"Joseph has earned that fight [with Joshua] in my opinion and the Saudis would see merit in Parker against Anthony Joshua... It's a merit-based fight. In terms of opponents, Joseph will fight anyone and if you look at all the names on his resume from Derek Chisora twice, Joe Joyce, Joshua, Wilder, Dillian Whyte, the list goes on and he's still only 31-years-old. We'll fight Anthony Joshua in a heartbeat."
What happened in Joseph Parker vs. Anthony Joshua? Revisiting their first fight
Joseph Parker vs. Anthony Joshua 1 is likely the reason why a rematch won't happen.
The two heavyweights first met in March 2018, with both men holding undefeated records. Furthermore, Parker entered the matchup holding the WBO heavyweight title, with 'AJ' holding the WBA (Super), IBF and IBO championships.
Entering the matchup, the British boxer was widely expected to win. In the end, he did exactly that. However, it was still a much closer fight than many expected, with Joseph Parker making it to the scorecards. After 12 rounds of action, Anthony Joshua was ruled the winner by unanimous decision.
The fight itself was kind of a weird affair, however, with both men being more inactive than normal. While the win was a big one for Joshua, there's a reason the bout isn't widely discussed. It was one of the more forgettable bouts from both men's careers.
Still, that doesn't mean that a rematch isn't in the cards for 2024.