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Joseph Parker earned his monstrous title showdown with Anthony Joshua in rather controversial circumstances, however. Returning to the ring this weekend, New Zealand favorite, Joseph Parker will look to finally book an overdue title showdown with Oleksandr Usyk. Long linked with a clash against the Ukrainian, Parker must first get past the undefeated Fabio Wardley in the pair’s WBO decider. However, training alongside Tyson Fury and his team in recent years, Parker received the wrath of the fighting family following a controversial win years ago. Joseph Parker’s controversial win over Hughie Fury Spoiling the party on a first Joshua vs. Fury showdown, back in 2017, Parker took on Tyson’s cousin Hughie Fury in another defense of the WBO heavyweight crown. Both boasting undefeated records at the time, Parker was riding a 23-fight unbeaten run, while Fury had not been beaten in his 20-fight professional career. And with a mega showdown against Anthony Joshua on the line, Parker prevailed against Fury in a hugely controversial result. Nabbing a majority decision (118-110, 118-110, 114-114) victory, Parker was ripped by Fury and his team post-fight, who claimed the bout was a showcase of “corruption” at the highest level of the sport. “This is corruption at its highest level in boxing,” Fury’s promoter, Mick Hennessy, said after the fight. “I thought it was an absolute masterclass, shades of Ali. Parker wasn’t even in the fight. One of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.” Joseph Parker issues new warning to Fabio Wardley Just days out from his pivotal showdown with Ipswich knockout star Wardley, Parker believes experience firmly lies on his side of the equation. Sharing the ring with the likes of Joshua, as well as former world champions Deontay Wilder and Mexican star Andy Ruiz Jr., Parker believes his level in the ring far outweighs that of Wardley. “I do feel that I’m levels above Fabio (Wardley) and that’s what I want to show on Saturday night,” Parker told Sky Sports. “I’ve fought everyone there is, and I want to go out there and show the level that I’m at compared to where he’s at,” Parker explained.
