Joseph Parker didn't have the 2019 he was looking for.
The former WBO heavyweight champion is getting back into the ring early in 2020 to reinsert himself back in the title picture when he squares off with Shawndell Winters on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas undercard Feb. 29 from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, live and exclusively on DAZN.
Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) won the vacant WBO strap against former unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr. in December 2016. The Kiwi made two title defenses before getting dethroned at the hands of current three-belt titleholder Anthony Joshua in March 2018. Then in his next time out, Parker lost a decision to interim WBC titlist Dillian Whyte. But the 28-year-old has rebounded with back-to-back wins over Alexander Flores and most recently, former world title challenger Alex Leapai via 10th-round TKO. He'd been expected to face Dereck Chisora in October but had to bow out after suffering a spider bite that left him ill.
"I am delighted to be back in action on this huge bill in Texas," Parker said in a press release. "It was frustrating to be ruled out of the Chisora fight in October, especially in such an unusual way, but I have been on fire in the gym in Las Vegas, and we're ready to get back to business. The division is moving at a great pace and this is a perfect opportunity to show the world that I am one of the elite players in the division.
"Shawndell is on a great run, and I know he'll bring it on Feb. 29, but I am ready to show that I will become a two-time world champion in 2020 and that starts with a dominant and destructive display in Frisco," Parker added.
Winters (13-2, 12 KOs) comes in having won two straight by going into enemy territory and stopping Oleksandr Teslenko and Sergiej Werwejko. The 39-year-old enters the biggest fight of his career, knowing his back is against the wall and plans on using that as fuel to spark another upset.
"This is the biggest fight of my career, and I am going to make it count," Winters said. "I am used to being the underdog. It's something that I thrive on and if Joseph Parker underestimates me, he's going to be in for a bad night because I am going in there to take him out."