The reality, though, is the Parker-Usyk fight may not get that far.
Dubois, as the IBF champion, is at short odds to challenge Usyk as contesting three titles remains more lucrative than one.
There is a chance Dubois or Usyk price themselves out of their expected rematch. But, at this point, the most likely scenario is Usyk vacating his WBO title to fight Dubois, which would pave the way for history to repeat for Parker.
Almost a decade ago, Parker claimed the vacant WBO title with a knife-edge majority decision win over Andy Ruiz Jnr in Auckland, after his now good friend, Tyson Fury, relinquished the belt following his upset victory against Wladimir Klitschko 13 months earlier.
Parker defended the WBO title twice – against Romanian Razvan Cojanu and Fury’s cousin Hughie – before losing the belt to British superstar Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.
Seven years on, Parker is on the verge of contesting the same vacant title after relaunching his career with six straight wins since 2022.
After a stunning run of success that featured victories against Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole – three of the most feared, power-punching heavyweights of the modern era – many pundits believe Parker deserves his shot at Usyk now.
Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew is one of those.
“They threw Joseph Parker to the wolves time after time and each time he came back leading the pack,” Bellew recently posted on social media. “After the problem with the Dubois fight, he could have just waited and moved on but he didn’t. He fought the problem once again. Finally, he’s been rewarded. Very well deserved in my honest opinion. [Well done] WBO for doing the right thing.”
On merit, Parker deserves his crack at Usyk.
But while Parker’s resume and support network grows, Usyk-Dubois remains the money fight.
Dubois’ claims for another shot at Usyk are significantly blunted by his previous ninth-round stoppage loss to the Ukrainian champion a year and a half ago.
In boxing, though, money talks which is why Usyk-Dubois is likely to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Parker’s immediate route to a second world title shot is, therefore, expected to come via the WBO, where he could be pitted in a tantalising transtasman clash with 12-0 Australian heavyweight, Justis Huni.
After struggling with multiple injuries, the 25-year-old Huni has reeled off four victories – against low-level opposition – in the past year to surge to the No.1 ranked position with the WBO.
A fight between Parker and Huni would be highly marketable in New Zealand or Australia, with the winner earning the right to progress to challenge Usyk or Dubois for all four belts and the undisputed crown at the backend of this year.
British prodigy Moses Itauma (20-0) is the other option for Parker to fight for the likely vacant WBO title.
Ranked No.2 with the WBO, 20-year-old Itauma has a desire to break Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest world heavyweight champion in history but he has until May 19 to achieve it.
When Parker dropped Bakole with a stunning second-round knockout last month, he believed boxing’s highly political powers would force him to fight once more before contesting a world title.
“I feel a bit angry. How can you set up this unification fight with Usyk and Dubois when he had a fight locked in with me? It should be that I fight Dubois now I’ve beaten Bakole,” Parker told the Herald after flooring Bakole.
“I haven’t given up. Turki Al-Sheikh is starting to listen to the fans and the fights they want to see. If the fans are loud enough and vocal, he might change up what we think is going to happen.”
Whether it’s Usyk’s WBA and WBC or, more likely, the vacant WBO title, the fast-shifting sands of the heavyweight scene will soon clear a path for Parker to again contest a prized crown.
Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010 and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.
