BoxRec

Joseph Parker's next opponent is a "substantial unit and something we haven't faced before" according to his management and a name will be announced within days.

Speculation is it might be Ukranian born giant Alexander Dimitrenko.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=11680953

Alexander Dimitrenko is likely to be announced tomorrow as Joseph Parker's next, and possibly final, opponent before his heavyweight world title showdown with Anthony Joshua in London.

Dimitrenko, 34, stands 2.01m tall and will be the biggest fighter the 1.93m Parker has come up against during his professional career.

Parker has fought men of similar dimensions or smaller since he turned professional in 2012, but Dimitrenko is literally a step up and has been signed specifically to prepare the New Zealander to fight the 1.98m Joshua. That fight is expected to happen at the end of this year or the start of the next.

Parker will go into the Dimitrenko fight in late September at a New Zealand venue yet to be confirmed with a perfect 20-fight professional record.

Parker TKO/KO inside 8 rounds

Alexander Dimitrenko confirmed as Joseph Parker's next opponent on October 1st :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI3BvVhJ2rY

Kevin Barry has revealed Joseph Parker is likely to have another fight after Alexander Dimitrenko before contemplating Anthony Joshua.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-spor ... -next-year?

"All we know is Joshua is talking to other camps at the moment. He's definitely not talking to us," Barry said.

"The fact we're taking this fight on October 1 there is a pretty fair assumption we're not fighting Joshua in November.

"After this fight there's every indication that everything going well we'll fight another tall guy later in the year."

Joseph Parker's younger brother John will make his pro boxing debut on on the Parker vs Dimitrenko undercard.

Others on the undercard will include Izu Ugonoh, Junior Fa, Bowyn Morgan and Brown Buttabean.

Two more fights before Joshua sounds ok. Parker can only improve and gain a bit more experience.

He is set to fight on a Joshua U/C in December according to this report.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=11702282

Let's hope Dimitrenko doesn't upset the applecart.

Alexander Dimitrenko claims Joseph Parker lost against Carlos Takam

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=11711550

Alexander Dimitrenko, the giant Ukrainian Joseph Parker will fight in Manukau in a fortnight, has launched an early offensive, saying the Kiwi heavyweight "lost" his IBF world title eliminator against Carlos Takam.

Dimitrenko has also claimed Parker's promoters, Duco Events, are taking him far too lightly and that, after looking into the eyes of Parker, he knows the 24-year-old is not ready for him or his title fight against Anthony Joshua, which is likely to be held in London in March, should both men remain undefeated.

Parker's unanimous points victory over 12 rounds against Takam in May earned him the right to challenge for the IBF title. It was a clear-cut victory for the judges and most observers, but not according to Dimitrenko, who made his comments in a press conference in Hamburg recently.

"He is fast, he is agile, but he doesn't yet have any history," Dimitrenko said of Parker, undefeated after 20 professional fights.

"In his fight against Carlos Takam, he lost - he really did lose it - but he was named the winner.

"He is young. He's 24. He's 10 years younger than me. I met him at the end of July at a press conference in Auckland and, yeah, what should I say? I have seen in his eyes that he is not ready yet. He is still young, but you should never underestimate someone. This is important in boxing.

"We will see when we meet. I can't tell you what will happen in the future. He is fast. He has fast hands, which I've seen in his fights, but he is not a veteran and he underestimates me.

"Duco think they can just move through me on their way to Anthony Joshua ... they're giving me absolutely no serious consideration."

There's tall and then there's tall :

Izu Ugonoh 16-0 v Gregory Tony 21-6 on the undercard.

Like a Boss wrote:There's tall and then there's tall :

DAMN!!!!!!!!! he is a big unit.

Nothing milk crates attached to Parker's sole can't fix

Anyone know how many hours left until this fight is supposed to start?

My stream says 8pm.

convict wrote:My stream says 8pm.

But might be different because of Kiwi time.

AntonS wrote:Nothing milk crates attached to Parker's sole can't fix

Are you for real! He's a big unit, the height difference is huge!

PARKER BY 3rd ROUND TKO.

3 rounds lol. Hopefully Joshua can last longer but he has big body to hit as well so probably tip over as easily.

Dimitrenko was down once in the first round and down two times in the second round. Dimitrenko was down with a body punch on the third round and he was counted out by the referee

says the results page.

Controversial win but Dimitrenko had no chance.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84869643

That's pretty much it.

Parker shouldn't have hit him when he was down, but Dimitrenko was just getting beaten up in there and was looking for a way out.

Far from an ideal ending, but Parker proved yet again he is a force to be reckoned with.