Joseph Parker celebrates his win over Jack Massey. Photo / Photosport
Joseph Parker celebrates his win over Jack Massey. Photo / Photosport
Joseph Parker’s former promoter believes the Kiwi heavyweight is two fights away from another world title shot and rates his chances of lifting the belt once again.
Parker had to go the distance on Sunday to defeat Great Britain’s Jack Massey in Manchester as he begins another careerrebuild after suffering his first knockout defeat last September to Joe Joyce.
The Kiwi-Samoan improved his record to 31-3 with the victory over Massey, who was stepping up from cruiserweight to face the former WBO world champion.
Parker’s camp claimed Massey fought too negatively as the 31-year-old failed to record a knockout victory against the lesser opponent.
“Absolutely not. Kiwis expect to see a sublime performance every time out, he’s going to knock this guy out, he’s going to knock that guy out. Joe is still in the high six figures, probably getting close to seven figures when he’s got bigger fights, he’s making enormous money out of the sport,” Lonergan said.
“What people don’t understand, that performance on the weekend — it was a good performance where he did what he had to do. He didn’t get the knockout and you know, I’m sure a lot of people would have liked to have seen that but Jack Massey went in there to survive the fight rather than win the fight and it didn’t allow Joe too many opportunities, but Joe won the fight.
“It means he moves up the next time around. I tell you what, if he has two more wins, he’ll be fighting for the world heavyweight title again and back in the serious money and he’s aligned with the bright boxing promoter in the UK.”
Joseph Parker in action during his fight against Jack Massey. Photo / Photosport
Lonergan said Parker, who is currently ranked eighth in the WBO rankings, is back on track in his career following the win.
“I think he’s not far away and I know a lot of people look at this, he didn’t do this, he didn’t do that. I just look at it from an overall point of view and he won the fight; that’s all he had to do.
“He’s now back on track and his coach Andy Lee made sure that Joseph didn’t have the world’s hardest opponent because he fought probably the number one or probably number two heavyweight in the world in his last fight, Joe Joyce.
“Joe is still entertaining. He’s got plenty of gas left in the tank and I think we’re gonna see plenty of him yet.”
Lonergan said Parker should be aiming for a rematch with Anthony Joshua. The two fought in 2018 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff when Parker was the WBO world champion and the Englishman held the IBF, IBO heavyweight and WBA super heavyweight belts. Joshua won the bout by unanimous decision handing Parker his first defeat.
“I think a fantastic fight for Joe, if it could be gotten, and he has one more win I think it could be gotten, would be Anthony Joshua. I think that’s a fight Joe could definitely win and that’s a huge money fight because Joshua attracts big money. And I think there’s Dillian Whyte on the table as well. I think Dillian is well past his best and Joe could knock him out again … so there’s good fights out there for him.
“Kiwis should not be writing Joe Parker off. They should be thinking, okay, what’s next for him? Can he go back to the world title. In my opinion, he can,” Lonergan said
“He’s got a long tail left in him. Joe as a heavyweight, he’s still in his prime right now. All of us have performances that go up and down. The most important thing right now for the next one to two fights is Joe wins. And if he can win by those knockout stoppages, all the better because it means the payday is going to be greater.”
