Joe Joyce (right) in action against Joseph Parker during their vacant WBO Interim World Heavyweight Championship contest. Photo / Getty
Joe Joyce (right) in action against Joseph Parker during their vacant WBO Interim World Heavyweight Championship contest. Photo / Getty
Joseph Parker's boxing career creeps back into the unknown after losing his WBO interim heavyweight championship bout by knock out against Joe Joyce in Manchester today.
The 30-year-old's third career defeat and first by KO leaves him in heavyweight limbo with Joyce now earning the right to be next in line against Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO world title.
What's going on?
Joseph Parker returns to the ring for the first time since December, taking on Britain's Joe Joyce at Manchester Arena on Sunday morning.
It's a fight that has been a long time coming. While there were suggestions Joyce would be next for Parker early in 2022, months went by before the two sides were able to come to terms on a deal and get the contracts signed.
It's a massive bout in the context of the heavyweight division, with Joyce the mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk's WBO title, against the former champion in Parker. Last month, the stakes got raised again as the WBO agreed to make it for the interim heavyweight championship.
An interim title? What exactly does that mean?
How much time have you got? Basically, the interim title is a placeholder belt while the champion of the division is otherwise engaged and/or unavailable. It essentially solidifies the winner as the next in line for a title shot.
Usyk holds the WBO title – one of his many shiny belts – but his sights are set on a blockbuster clash against WBC champion Tyson Fury which would find an undisputed heavyweight champion. Suggestions are that if that bout was to happen it would be early next year, meaning Usyk would be occupied for the foreseeable future. The WBO belt has only been on the line twice in the last two years – in the two bouts between Usyk and Anthony Joshua – and the WBO believed that level of activity was significantly low and agreed to put the interim belt on the line this weekend in a bid to increase title activity. Yes, an interim title can be won/lost the same as a full title (see Dillian Whyte v Alexander Povetkin) which means if the Usyk and Fury situation drags on, the organisation can still book title fights.
Usyk has also recently spoken about retiring should the Fury bout not come together, and in that situation, the interim champion would be elevated to full champion. So, there's plenty of good that comes with that interim belt.
Joyce has a one-sided rematch clause in the bout agreement against Parker, so if the Kiwi wins, he'll more than likely be defending the interim title again before the year ends.
Who is Joe Joyce?
Career-wise, Joyce is a rising star of UK boxing. Claiming an Olympic silver medal in Rio in 2016, he turned pro the following year and has since amassed a 14-0 record with 13 wins by stoppage.
Joe Joyce comes into the bout with a 14-0 professional record. Photo / Queensbury
At 198cm tall and with a reach of 204cm, he is an imposing figure in the ring, and uses that reach well as he relies heavily on his jab. He likes to push forward behind that, putting pressure on his opponent and backing them against the ropes, where volume becomes his best asset – attempting to pummel his opponent in the body and head as they try to work for a bit of space.
Parker will be his first test at the division's elite level. Up to this point, the biggest names on his resume are WBA (regular) heavyweight title holder Daniel Dubois and former world title contender Carlos Takam – beating both by stoppage.
But while he's something of an up-and-comer in the professional ranks, Joyce will be the older fighter on Sunday. At 37, he is seven years older than Parker, though the Kiwi has five years – and 18 fights - more experience in professional boxing than his British counterpart.
How do the two match up?
Parker has the speed and experience advantage; Joyce, the size. Everything about this bout comes down to whichever boxer can dictate the action.
For Parker, constant motion is going to be key; darting into range, landing a few shots, then moving again to keep Joyce on his toes. While he has shown a willingness to throw more combinations at range in recent bouts, Joyce wants to push forward behind his jab. If he's forced to chase Parker around, it could be a tough outing for him.
In the same sense, if Parker is not active and alert, and allows himself to stand in front of Joyce or gets too greedy with the shots he can land on the inside, the Brit will likely find plenty of success with his usual playbook of pumping out the jab, throwing with volume when his opponent is in a bad position and testing their gas tank.
The action goes down on Sunday morning for us in New Zealand. The card starts at 6am, but the main event (yes, that's Parker v Joyce) is expected to get going around 10.30am.
Joseph Parker is looking to return to the top of the heavyweight division. Photo / Queensbury
Other bouts on the card include a unified world featherweight title bout between Amanda Serrano and Sarah Mahfoud, while Michael Magnesi defends his IBO super-featherweight title against Anthony Cacace.
How can I watch it?
The bout is available via pay-per-view on Sky Arena and Sky Sport Now for $39.95. The Herald will be running a live blog for the main event, which will get underway around 10.15am at nzherald.co.nz.
