Boxing: Joseph Parker hits back after taunting from heavyweight rivals

Derek Chisora's provocative take-down of Joseph Parker. Photo / Twitter

Two of the fighters Joseph Parker is hoping to take on next have openly taunted him after his defeat of Junior Fa over the weekend, but the Kiwi heavyweight is having none of it.

Parker, the WBO's number-three ranked fighter, beat Fa by unanimous decision on Saturday night, though many onlookers thought Fa deserved more points than the judges eventually awarded him.

The fact the fight went the full distance, after Parker's team acknowledged before the bout that they needed an early knock-out in order to make a statement, has opened New Zealand's best heavyweight up to criticism. And it's his potential opponents who have struck first.

Before Saturday's fight even happened, Parker was eyeing off Derek Chisora and the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce WBO interim title fight believed to be scheduled later this year.

"I'm open to fighting anyone," Parker told Sky Sports News. "But with the talks from my promoter, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and with [manager] David Higgins, they've got a clear pathway for me this year.

"Take care of Junior, then fighting Chisora, then fighting the winner of Usyk and Joyce."

Going by Chisora's social media accounts, the ever-present British contender is not phased at all by the prospect.

Posting on Twitter immediately following the conclusion of the fight, Chisora posted a picture of himself and Parker and their career statistics; however Parker's head had been replaced by a chicken and the hashtag #chisoravchicken was posted alongside.

Derek Chisora's provocative take-down of Joseph Parker. Photo / Twitter

Chisora confirmed with Sky Sports UK that the two camps were in discussions to fight and that he was not at all impressed with the Auckland fixture.

"The fight was not great," said Chisora. "The simple reason for that was they didn't spar a lot. They were not in shape, they didn't train hard enough. There was no fear factor for both of them."

Once Parker caught sight of Chisora's post, he immediately responded; labelling the Brit a "donkey" who was scared to fight outside the United Kingdom, let alone New Zealand.

"Come down to NZ if you think you've got what it takes donkey. I'll finish this anywhere," Parker posted on his Twitter account while tagging his manager David Higgins, UK promoter Eddie Hearn as well as Chisora's promoter David Haye.

This is not the the first time Parker and Chisora have exchanged verbal jabs. In 2019 Parker promised to send Chisora into retirement with a knockout defeat in front of his London supporters – if he got another opportunity.

"I told him before that I will retire him and I'll be his last fight. Lock in the fight, I'll put in a great show. He will get his money that he wants, but I will put him into retirement. He's had a good career," Parker told Sky Sports UK at the time.

Haha @DerekWarChisora getting cocky are we? You’ve barely fought out of the UK, never out of Europe, and scared to visit New Zealand! Come down to NZ if you think you’ve got what it takes donkey 😂 I’ll finish this anywhere 👊🏼 @D_Higgins_Duco @davidhaye @EddieHearn

— Joseph Parker (@joeboxerparker) March 1, 2021

Meanwhile, Joyce also took to Twitter after watching the Parker-Fa fight to say he was also not threatened by what he saw.

"Either of these two, no problem," he wrote.

Either of these two, no problem.#THEJUGGERNAT

— Joe Joyce (@JoeJoyceBoxing) February 27, 2021

For Parker, Chisora will now likely be the first of those fighters to take on in what will be a massively popular bout in London where both fighters have big fanbases, and then, maybe, a mandatory challenge for the WBO belt he once held against either Joyce, or Usyk.