Heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker recently discussed the possibility of competing on the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou undercard, expected to take place in March. In an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, the 31-year-old New Zealander revealed that he had received an indication of a fight on the Joshua vs. Ngannou undercard and was keeping himself in shape to be ready for it. Parker expressed his desire to get back in the ring as soon as possible and mentioned that he is training every day, working hard, and eating clean in preparation for the upcoming fight.
Parker also spoke about potential opponents for the event, sharing that he was offered multiple names, including Zhilei Zhang and Filip Hrgovic. He mentioned accepting both fights, saying, “Every name like Zhang or Hrgovic or anyone, whatever they’ve said, we’ve said yes to.” Parker was last seen in action on December 23, when he faced off against Deontay Wilder at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The New Zealander put up a dominant performance that led to a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the fight 118-111, 118-110, and 120-108.
Francis Ngannou’s upcoming clash against Anthony Joshua will only be his second-ever professional appearance in a boxing match. Despite his lack of experience, many people believe he will emerge victorious in March. One such believer is former UFC champion Quinton Jackson, who recently took to Twitter to share his prediction that Ngannou will score a stoppage against ‘AJ.’
Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against renowned boxer Tyson Fury in October 2023. The Cameroonian performed well in the contest and even scored a knockdown against ‘The Gypsy King.’ Ultimately, the contest went the distance, and Fury was declared the winner via split decision. However, many in the combat sports community disagreed with the decision and hailed Ngannou as the rightful victor.
