Parker is playing with fire as he awaits shot at Usyk… will he get burnt by Wardley?

Joseph Parker will put his place in the heavyweight pecking order on the line this weekend when he faces Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena.

The New Zealander is the mandatory challenger to undisputed champion, Oleksandr Usyk, but that will all be put to the side once he steps into the ring with Wardley on Saturday night.

The stakes could not be much higher, and it is little surprise that Parker has opted to test himself against a dangerous contender.

He has taken on some huge challenges in recent years to work his way back into the mix to become a two-time world champion after holding the WBO belt between 2016 and 2018.

But has he bitten off more than he can chew this time? Parker has been playing with fire for some time – could he get burnt on Saturday night?

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Parker’s career resurgence started almost two years ago when he agreed to face former world champion and knockout artist Deontay Wilder.

Wilder was aiming to set up a showdown with Anthony Joshua but could not get to grips with Parker as the Kiwi boxed his way to a lopsided points win.

Parker also hurt Wilder badly with an overhand right in the eighth round as he proved he had the power to match his boxing IQ.

Many fighters would have rested on their laurels, but Parker went straight back in with another big puncher just three months later in Zhilei Zhang.

It looked like Parker had made a mistake when he was knocked down in rounds three and eight, but he kept his cool and outworked Zhang to get the nod via majority decision.

That victory earned Parker the WBO interim belt and helped him land a title shot against Daniel Dubois in February.

However, Dubois pulled out just two days before the fight due to illness, leaving Parker in limbo.

No one would have blamed him for taking himself off the card, but Parker was happy to put his interim title on the line against the much-avoided Martin Bakole at short notice.

Bakole was not in prime condition, but it was still a gamble on Parker’s part. It paid off handsomely as he knocked out Bakole inside two rounds to continue his incredible run of form.

Parker has been in possession of the WBO interim title for over 18 months and has already defended it once against Bakole.

He is next in line to face Usyk, and the fight was ordered back in July. However, the Ukrainian great was granted an extended negotiation period after picking up a back injury.

This left Parker with two options – he could either sit on the sidelines and wait for Usyk or take an interim fight to remain active.

He chose the latter after deciding that having a lengthy layoff would not be ideal preparation for a showdown with Usyk.

Wardley has made a name for himself over the past 12 months after recording two devastating knockout victories over Frazer Clarke and Justis Huni.

The Brit is also an interim champion with the WBA and was put forward as a potential opponent for Parker. It did not take long for Parker to accept the challenge.

Parker deciding to stay busy is a sensible one. He has built momentum over the last two years and does not want that to stall while he waits for Usyk.

But considering he holds all the cards, Parker choosing to fight Wardley is an interesting call.

Wardley has won 18 of his 20 fights inside the distance and will be dangerous from the first bell.

Parker has faced some huge punchers over the years and now that he is on the brink of a title shot, he would have been forgiven for taking on someone who offers less of a threat than Wardley.

But he has opted to take a risk and is backing himself to get the job done.

Some fighters have shown a reluctance to face fellow contenders and are happy to bide their time until they are handed a title shot. Parker sees things differently, and he should be applauded for facing Wardley when he could have gone down an alternative route.

Parker has walked towards the danger time after time in the last two years and he could come unstuck on Saturday night.

Zhang put Parker down twice in their fight last year and Wardley has also shown he can change the course of a contest with one punch.

If Parker walks on to a big shot from Wardley his world title dreams could go up in smoke in a split second.

But it should be remembered that while facing Wardley is a gamble, it is a calculated one.

Parker is the favourite as he has far more experience and has operated at a higher level for longer. If he boxes to the best of his ability, Parker should emerge victorious.

Parker has shown he can handle the heat of a heavyweight battle for over a decade and there are no signs of him slowing down at 33.

Rather than worrying about the prospect of losing, Parker seems determined to make a statement against a hungry contender in Wardley to prove beyond doubt that he deserves his shot at Usyk.

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