Joseph Parker's manager David Higgins believes the delicate heavyweight championship situation involving the division's majority titleholder Anthony Joshua could benefit his client in 2021 — if he can first get past Junior Fa.
Joshua currently holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, and will defend them on Dec. 12 against Kubrat Pulev. Should he emerge victorious, Oleksandr Usyk is his next mandatory challenger per the WBO, following the unbeaten Ukrainian's points win over Dereck Chisora.
Should Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn instead prioritise their huge all-British superfight vs. Tyson Fury, Usyk and his team could insist on their mandated challenge and cause the WBO to strip their version of the title from Joshua before he fought the current WBC champion.
That would leave a situation where Usyk fought someone to determine a new WBO kingpin, which is where Parker — who held that very title from 2016 until 2018 when he lost it to Joshua in Cardiff — could come in.
"One hundred per cent, we'd take the fight [with Usyk for WBO belt]," Higgins told Sky Sports.
"In fact, I think Joseph's claim for that opportunity would stack up against anyone else in that top 10.
"We would take the fight. You could look at doing it in the UK obviously, or New Zealand potentially, if it got a bit of government support.
"It all depends on that mandatory, and whether Joshua vacates or not. We'll keep winning and take the opportunity when it comes."
Of course, Parker must first win the battle of New Zealand's top heavyweights first.
Initially scheduled to be held on Friday Dec. 11, the 12-rounder is now set to take place on Saturday Dec.12 at Auckland's Spark Arena. Due to the time zones, Parker vs. Fa will happen just hours before Joshua vs. Pulev, making for a huge day of maximum-weight action.
Parker is ranked third by the WBO, with Usyk currently at No. 1 and the second spot currently occupied by unbeaten Daniel Dubois, who faces Joe Joyce on Nov. 28.
"The stakes are high," Higgins said. "Joseph is taking a big risk fighting Fa, and he has to win well, and put in a dominant performance. Fa is ranked quite well with the WBO, at No. 6, Joe at No. 3.
"He's got to get this Junior Fa fight out of the way, and then he's back on his third fight on the Matchroom promotional contract.
"We were surprised to see Dubois go above Joe in the rankings. Joe was at two and then Dubois went to two, and Joe is three now. But that's probably based on busyness. Dubois' resume doesn't have any good names in it.
"That being said, Dubois has got huge potential and that will be another fight we'll look at in the future as well.
"Joseph is focused only on December and getting a good win, and then we'll be hoping that the ratings committee is to take into account how busy he is, etc., and then we hope he advances in the rankings further."