Joseph Parker Exclusive: Oleksandr Usyk has to be careful against Daniel Dubois – you can’t write him off

WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker is a man on a mission. After reportedly being named the mandatory challenger for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world – pending the result of ‘Usyk vs Dubois 2’ in July, Joseph Parker spoke candidly about the state of the heavyweight division.

Speaking to Casino Hawks – who offer the latest UK Casino Sites, Parker said:

• Oleksandr Usyk has to be careful against Daniel Dubois – you can’t write him off
• Deontay Wilder can make a comeback just like George Foreman 
• ‘AJ vs Fury’ is more exciting than ‘AJ vs Wilder’
• I will be in Tyson Fury’s corner if he fights AJ
• Jake Paul is in dangerous territory calling out Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois
• Training with Jon Jones showed that MMA is too crazy for me
• Usyk has called everyone out but me, what is going through his head?
• The undisputed title is so close and I’m ready for it all 
• Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn showed us how dangerous weight cutting is

Joseph Parker Exclusive: Oleksandr Usyk has to be careful against Daniel Dubois – you can’t write him off, Deontay Wilder can make a comeback just like George Foreman, ‘AJ vs Fury’ is more exciting than ‘AJ vs Wilder’ 

Oleksandr Usyk has to be careful against Daniel Dubois – you can’t write him off

You can never write Daniel Dubois off. After the first Usyk fight, the Jarrell Miller and Anthony Joshua fights he has become a man on a mission. He comes out and gives it everything he has. He has a good team behind him. However Usyk is like a master who reads you, breaks you down, has good feints, footwork, and combinations. In the first fight he was very dominant until he got caught with that low blow. In the second fight, Usyk will come with his usual confidence because of how he did in his first fight, but he must be wary of Dubois as he is a powerhouse.

Deontay Wilder can make a comeback just like George Foreman 

Deontay Wilder will always have what it takes to be a champion again because he punches like a mule. If you think Dubois is a powerhouse, Wilder has extremely powerful hands and he has shown that in a lot of his fights. He probably has the best records out there when it comes to knocking people out. He has a good knockout ratio with the fights he has had. If he believes in himself and gets his training  right, I’m sure he can come back.

Look at George Foreman for example. How old was he when he came back and won the world title? Heavyweights can go on in this game for a long time.

‘AJ vs Fury’ is more exciting than ‘AJ vs Wilder’

I think the fight has more interest out of AJ/Wilder and AJ/Fury will be AJ/Fury. People will want to see that fight more than the Wilder fight- though the Wilder fight will still gather interest.

It just depends on who wants to watch these fights and if they can make these fights happen. It takes a lot to make these fights happen but when they do come together it will add a lot to the heavyweight division for those who are watching and have been supporting boxing for a long time.

I will be in Tyson Fury’s corner if he fights AJ

If Tyson wants me in his corner, I will be there. I am team Fury all the way. Tyson has done a lot for me in my career and I am always going to be in his team. I know he will have Sugar Hill, Andy Lee and his Dad there. I could probably be the cutman!

Jake Paul is in dangerous territory calling out Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois

Whatever Jake Paul is doing right now, he should stick to it because that is what is working for him. When you start messing with fighters that have been doing this longer than you have – and who have also achieved massive things in the sport, it can get dangerous for you.

If Jake Paul genuinely wants to challenge these guys [Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua], then credit to him for having the bravery and courage within himself. However, there are levels to this game.

Anthony Joshua will knock him out. I am not sure what round but if AJ lands clean, he will knock Jake Paul out.

Training with Jon Jones showed that MMA is too crazy for me

Like I said earlier, boxers are crazy, but MMA fighters are just a tiny bit more crazy and then BKFC guys are the craziest. I don’t know how they take bareknuckle hits to the face! For me, I like the sweet science of boxing and I will stick to what I am good at. MMA and Bare Knuckle are different stories. It’s a different type of training to be aware of. They have Jiu Jitsu, grappling, kickboxing etc. to think about. I will just stick to what I am good at and focus on boxing.

I trained with Jon Jones and I can say that he is a beast. He is an animal and I can see why people say that he is the GOAT. How he trains, the team has around him and the work he puts in is phenomenal. It was great to see that upfront.

Usyk has called everyone out but me, what is going through his head?

I don’t think Usyk is the fighter to avoid anyone. He has fought everyone there is to fight. I just feel that I should be able to challenge myself against the best fighter in the world. At the moment Usyk is the best in the world. He is fighting Dubois next, and if he does want a challenger and is looking for someone who is keen to fight, I am here. Instead, he hasn’t mentioned my name, he has called out Dubois, Tyson and AJ. So who knows what is going through his head?

The undisputed title is so close and I’m ready for it all 

It’s very close. You have Dubois and Usyk fighting for it in July and the winner will become the Undisputed heavyweight champion. If Frank Warren is right and says I am next to fight the winner, that will be great because I am right there! Do I stay patient and wait for the big fight?  Do I try to lock in another fight in the meantime? I don’t know what the future holds but I will be ready for it all.

Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn showed us how dangerous weight cutting is

I haven’t had to make weight as a heavyweight so I don’t understand how tough it can be and what it can do to your body. I have been on a deficit at times, but in terms of losing weight I’m probably not the best person to talk to. From what I saw from the Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn fight, it looks like he did everything to lose that weight. The body goes through a lot. I have spoken to other people about it and they tell me how dangerous it is. If you get it wrong, you could mess yourself up. As long as fighters are healthy and safe, that’s the best way to go about it.