Joseph Parker has attempted to goad rival Dillian Whyte into a rematch with a hilarious call-out video on social media. The interim WBO world heavyweight champion put together a music video while miming Take That’s “Back for Good.”
The Kiwi, 32, was handed his second-ever professional defeat by Whyte back in 2018 with a points win. The loss to the Body Snatcher came less than four months after losing to Anthony Joshua.
Whyte managed to score knockdowns against Parker in the second and ninth rounds, while also surviving a scare of his own being down and having to be saved by the bell. Since that defeat, Parker has fought 12 times and lost just once to Joe Joyce in 2022.
His latest fight saw Parker overcome the colossal Zhilei Zhang via majority decision after being downed in rounds three and eight. And now Parker wants to get revenge for a previous defeat against Whyte, who beat Christian Hammer last month after sitting out of boxing for over a year.
Whyte had a rematch against longtime rival Anthony Joshua scheduled for last August – but those plans were binned after the 35-year-old returned “adverse analytical findings” in a pre-fight test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. Whyte was later cleared to continue his career after an investigation found that a positive drug test was caused by a contaminated supplement.
Parker’s callout could be an interesting proposition for Whyte, with both men hoping to climb into the heavyweight title picture, which includes Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua. “I want you back for good Dillian Whyte. If not, I’m moving on,” Parker captioned his music video, which also included a funny picture of Whyte, alongside a lipstick-stained Body Snatcher mug.
Parker’s efforts to recreate Take That have fans excited for Whyte’s potential response. “Best call out ever!” one said in response to the video. “That’s brilliant Joe, brilliant,” a second added. A third tweeted: “I’m not sure there is a more likeable guy in the world of boxing than Joe Parker.”
With wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhang, Parker has positioned himself for a potential title fight against the winner of Fury and Usyk. Parker and Fury are, of course, close friends, making that potential fight a must-watch. Parker told iFL TV: “When Tyson wins the fight with Usyk, and I’m in the position to fight for the WBO world title, if it’s going to make a massive change for my life and my family, we’ll do it. I reckon he’ll be like, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ So, he can look after both of us for the rest of our lives I want to be world champion, and I want to fight the best, and I believe Tyson is the best. If it’s Tyson, we’ll have a quick word and see where we end up. We’ll see.”
