Fury vs Usyk: Joseph Parker to keep keen eye on undisputed title fight; how to watch in NZ

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight to become the undisputed heavyweight champion on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Photo / Getty Images

Joseph Parker will have a keen eye on the heavyweight title unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on Sunday morning, but the result may not impact his own career immediately.

For the first time in 25 years, the world heavyweight titles will be unified when Fury (WBC) and Usyk (WBO, WBA Super, IBF and IBO) square off in Saudi Arabia with all the belts on the line.

As WBO interim world heavyweight champion, Parker sits in a solid position to be calling for a shot at the winner. He’ll be part of the broadcast team with DAZN for Sunday morning’s event – which also features Kiwi David Nyika – and told Newstalk ZB’s Elliott Smith that what the result meant for his career wasn’t something he was considering too much.

“You know what? I just want Tyson to win. That means I might have to fight him one day, but we can just go ‘hey buddy, let’s fight each other’, we’ll have a great fight and then we’ll be brothers again,” Parker said.

“I’ve always said I wouldn’t fight him because we’re very close, but if I want to be the best, and he’s the best in the world, who else is there to fight to be the best? If I want to be the best I have to beat the best. It’s only business; outside of that we’re very close and I have a lot of respect for Tyson.”

The fight will see two unbeaten boxers step into the ring as they look to earn the title of the era’s best. Fury holds a record of 34 wins and one draw, while Usyk has won all 21 of his professional bouts.

For Usyk, it’s the chance to become an undisputed champion for the second time in his career, as he held all the belts at cruiserweight before deciding to move up in weight class.

As he often does, Fury will hold the size and reach advantage, while Usyk’s movement both defensively and offensively has proven a big asset during his run at heavyweight.

“This is going to be huge,” Parker said. “Whoever wins this is going to go down in history as the best fighter of this era. I’m so grateful to be here to be able to witness it live.”

The fight has a two-way rematch clause, so it is expected the victor will have to beat the other twice before the saga ends. In the meantime, Parker has targeted a return to action later this year as he looks to cement his claim to a shot at the world title proper.

“Preparations are well and truly on the way to getting bigger, faster, stronger. I’m not sure who the opponent will be, but they’ve said September or October,” Parker said.

“There are a lot of fights happening now in the heavyweight division where it’s going to unfold ... all these heavyweight fights are going to play out and whoever comes out on top is going to be an option for September or October.

“Anyone who’s ranked highly, and anyone who can get me closer to fighting for a world title.”

How to watch in NZ

The Ring of Fire event is being streamed by DAZN for $34.99. Coverage starts at 4am on Sunday. The Herald will also be running live updates for the main event from 10am.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.