STEVE’S SOAPBOX
A NOBLE MISTAKE By Steve Kim
Fly Saudia to the world
C oming into his October 25 bout versus Fabio Wardley, Joseph Parker held the WBO interim heavyweight title (along with being rated second in the division by Ring Magazine). By virtue of his interim status, he was theoretically in line to face undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. But those dreams were seemingly dashed after he was stopped in somewhat controversial fashion by the resilient Wardley in the 11th round. Some have criticized Parker’s decision to take this fight, especially against a dangerous up-and-comer like Wardley. If there’s one thing the relatively inexperienced Wardley can do, it’s bang. In his previous bout in June, he was down big against Australian Justis Huni, a highly touted prospect in his own right, before he brought out the eraser to score a dramatic 10th-round KO. It says here that Parker was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. It’s not certain just where the 33-year-
In an upset, Fabio Wardley (right) came from behind to finish Joseph Parker.
Wardley being upgraded to titleholder), he can just lean on his status as the Ring champion and target the biggest fight possible. I choose to credit Parker for being a fighter. What happened to him is nothing new. Back in 1993, Tommy Morrison was coming off a victory over George Foreman for the WBO belt (which at the time was not considered a major title at heavyweight). After a tune-up victory over Tim Tomashek, a deal was in place for “The Duke” to square off against respected WBC champ Lennox Lewis in the first quarter of 1994. All he had to do was get past the handpicked, supposedly light-hitting and “chinny” Michael Bentt. “We had an $8 million deal to face Lennox Lewis – and it was done,” Tony Holden, who worked in various capacities with Morrison throughout his career, told The Ring. “The problem was it was months down the road. You can’t hold Tommy that long, because he
old Kiwi goes from here. My view is that Parker should be given credit for actually getting out there and fighting, and beyond that for actually taking a risk. In a sport where risk mitigation is 98% of the business, this was actually refreshing to see. But it does leave you wondering: Was indiscretion the better part of valor? Was Parker better off just waiting around for Usyk, or at least taking a far less dangerous foe? Yeah, he might have been involved in a 2025 Fight of the Year contender, but is that plaque worth as much as the payday he would’ve been in line to receive for facing Usyk? But here’s the kicker: Given Usyk’s well-earned status, there really was no guarantee that Parker was ever going to get that bout. And now that Usyk has vacated the WBO strap (resulting in
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