The New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker will lose his mandatory IBF title challenge if he fails to beat his next opponent, Australian Solomon Haumona.
Parker earned the right to fight Briton Anthony Joshua for the IBF title when he beat Carlos Takam in an eliminator bout in Auckland at the weekend.
However that mandatory challenge is unlikely to take place before the end of the year and could even be put back later if Joshua fights a unification bout against fellow Brit and WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Joseph Parker. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
While Parker awaits confirmation of when he might fight Johua he needs to maintain his fitness and his camp has indicated it wants him to fight twice between now and any IBF championship fight.
The fight against Haumona will take place in Christchurch on July 21st with Haumona the current WBA Pan Asian Boxing Association champion, a title Paker was stripped of last year after he refused to fight Haumono.
While the title may not be important for Parker a loss would have a serious impact on his career and deprive him of the mandatory challenge against Joshua.
"(Haumona) brings a different game plan to what Takam had. He brings power and his power is dangerous," said Parker.
"So every fight that we have is a risky fight so we have to be at our best...the fighter than you underestimate or look past is the fighter who will get to you."
The New Zealand born Haumono played 10 years in the National Rugby League before concentrating on boxing.
The 40 year old has a record of 24 wins from his 28 bouts.
