Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker continues to avow his innocence as he works through the most frustrating period of his boxing career effectively shackled, waiting to be exonerated from a positive drugs test tabbed on the day of his shock defeat to Fabio Wardley in London last October.
Parker is co-promoting fellow New Zealander David Nyika’s IBF cruiserweight world title eliminator against Kiwi-born Aussie Floyd Masson in Auckland on August 8, revealed by The Post last week, but unveiled officially in Auckland on Thursday.
Nyika (12-1) will meet Masson (17-2) at the North Shore’s Eventfinda Stadium in a 12-round contest, with the winner’s reward a shot at the vacant IBF world title, likely against British No 1 contender Viddal Riley. It’s a fight that can relight the fuse on Nyika’s pro career in the wake of his late-notice world title fourth-round knockout at the hands of awesome Aussie Jai Opetaia on the Gold Coast in January of 2025.
In terms of his own flagging career, Parker told The Post he was still awaiting a ruling from UKAD ( UK Anti-Doping) which was keeping him inactive at a time when the heavyweight division had gone into overdrive. Nobody needs to tell the former WBO heavyweight world champion the opportunities he’s missing with his enforced sidelining.
