Kiwi fighter Joseph Parker is eager to return to the ring against British fighter Dillian Whyte next week, according to promoter David Higgins.
Parker, 26, will face his first opponent since surrendering his WBO crown to Anthony Joshua with his first career loss in Cardiff earlier this year, when he takes on Whyte at London's O2 Arena Sunday morning, June 29, NZT.
Speaking to Stuff, Higgins says he's confident his fighter will return in style, before potentially earning another shot at Joshua.
"Joseph, he still has that hunger," Higgins said.
"I looked him in the eye after the Joshua fight, and he was almost more motivated to come back and prove what he could do.
"All he needs to do now is win. If he wins, he is straight back there. It's been serendipitous, and it wasn't by chance."
Higgins also weighed up the prospect of a Parker loss, but doesn't believe back-to-back defeats will mean the end of the Kiwi fighter's hopes of a future shot at a world title.
"If Joseph were to take a second loss in a row, that makes life very hard for him and for us, while if he were to win, he might be in a sold-out Wembley Stadium on worldwide television, so there's a huge difference."
However, Higgins is still expecting a comfortable victory for his fighter next week.
"This time around I think he'll be looking to win emphatically. It might not be a knockout, but I think he'll be looking to dominate and win emphatically," he said.
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