Joseph Parker reveals newfound hunger as he preps for Fabio Wardley

“This is my Usyk now”

Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KO's) is gearing up for a potentially career-defining 12 months in the ring. 

The New Zealander is preparing for an October 25 showdown with Fabio Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KO's) - and the winner will likely be the next challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s (24-0, 15 KO's) undisputed title. 

Speaking to DAZN, the heavyweight veteran has revealed that he is looking forward to this new chapter in his career. 

“Firstly, it’s excitement, happy, and I was just saying before you can do all this training — running, weights, boxing — but there’s nothing that beats locking in a fight, having a date, having an opponent, and aiming towards something.

“Straight after a fight you’re motivated, you just want to continue on getting in good shape for the next fight, but when it drags on, it’s just like ‘why?’ Why can’t we just lock in three or four fights in one year? That would’ve been amazing.”

A win on the 25th all but sets up a 2026 date against Usyk, giving him the opportunity to share the ring with a man who will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. 

Victory over ‘The Cat’ would propel Parker to new heights, crowning him as the only man to get the better of the Ukrainian. 

Speaking on his potentially momentous next 12 months, Parker is determined not to get ahead of himself, solely focused on the job at hand.

“This is a massive fight. Like, he brings the WBA mandatory…I know that everyone keeps talking about Usyk and that’s who everyone wants to fight, but this is my Usyk now — Fabio Wardley. The target’s on him and nothing else matters because if I don’t get this right, there’s no point in talking about any other fight.”

The former world champion has had a storied career in the ring, sharing the ring with some of the sport's greatest entertainers, from wars with Derek Chisora to PPV stardom against Anthony Joshua, the 33-year-old has cemented himself as one of the top talents of this generation.

However, he is often slept on in the heavyweight pecking order due to some unfortunate defeats and has been deserving of a title shot for a number of years. 

Looking back on his defeats, he feels that they have given him a newfound hunger, reigniting his love for the sport. 

“[I] fought all these fighters but there are a few defeats in there. But I feel like at this stage of my career now, I love it. I love waking up everyday and training, I love that I have this fight locked in. There’s a reason why I train hard everyday. I love boxing. I got the passion back for it.”

Despite a glittering career, there are still unticked boxes, and Parker has his eyes firmly set on achieving two-time status.

“I want to be two-time world champion, unified, undisputed. That is the goal for every fighter. And before I was doing it for my dad, I ticked that box and became champion of the world mostly for him. Now I’m doing it for me. Now I’m doing it for myself, my wife and my kids, and that’s what drives me everyday. Like, I love it.”