Tyson Fury is backing Joseph Parker to get the job done against Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who came up short in two blockbuster bouts with the Ukrainian heavyweight champion, says that New Zealand’s Parker more than deserves his opportunity against Usyk after the WBO ordered a mandatory title bout between the two boxers.
The ruling means that a potential rematch between Usyk and Daniel Dubois will likely have to wait, unless a deal is struck with Parker to step aside. Britain’s Dubois had been heavily linked to a title bout with Usyk following his knockout win over Anthony Joshua last year, in what would have been a rematch of a 2023 contest between the two in which Usyk triumphed by ninth-round knockout.
And Fury, a longtime supporter of Parker’s, says that he is finally getting what he deserves.
“About time as well, give Joe Parker his shot,” Fury said, as reported by Give Me Sport.
Parker retained the interim WBO heavyweight title last month with a second round knockout of Congolese heavyweight Martin Bukole, who had stepped in on two days’ notice after original opponent Dubois withdrew due to illness.
The win added to Parker’s current career-best run, which also shows wins over the giant Chinese Zhilei Zhang and the former longtime world champion Deontay Wilder.
