Dimitrenko looking forward to beating Parker

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Photos: Dave Cameron

6’7 giant Alexander Dimitrenko (38-2, 24 KOs) says he’s confident of victory when he faces IBF #1 heavyweight Joseph Parker (20-0, 17 KOs) on October 1 over twelve rounds at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau, New Zealand.

“I’m looking forward to winning this fight,” commented the 34-year-old Dimitrenko. “I have nothing to lose in this fight. The pressure is on him, not me. I’m really relaxed. I enjoy being the underdog.”

Dimitrenko also stated that in his opinion Carlos Takam defeated Parker earlier this year. “If the fight was in France then the fight would have gone to Takam,” he said.

Duco Events Promoter Dean Lonergan revealed that Parker arrived in New Zealand from Las Vegas on Saturday and confirmed that discussions with IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn were continuing about Parker fighting on the undercard of Joshua’s next title defense in Manchester on November 26. There remains a chance that Parker, slated to fight David Price, could step up to the main event, but both camps would prefer their men to meet in March.

Lonergan left the door open for Parker’s stablemate Izu Ugonoh to fight Joshua should negotiations with Kubrat Pulev fall over. “Izu has gone into that top 15 [of the IBF] and he’s available for selection. If they come back to us and said ‘Izu is up now and then we’ll take Joe’ we’d be more than happy with that and we’ll negotiate a deal.”