Joseph Parker ignores calls for retirement

Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 KOs) is only 26-years-old but he’s already started to hear the rumblings to walk away following his second consecutive defeat, the most recent to Dillian Whyte on July 28. “It’s time to call it quits,” some say, but Parker isn’t listening.

From ESPN:

“A lot of people say I should give up and retire,” Parker said during a news conference at promoter Duco Events’ offices in his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday. “I’m only 26 and I’ve only lost twice. It’s not the end of the world. I’m still learning. You look at [former] champions -- I’m not trying to compare -- but they were great fighters, and [Wladimir] Klitschko lost [five] times, Lennox [Lewis] lost [two] times, and were knocked out in their fights. No one told them to retire. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I think everyone should get behind us and support us.”

Parker’s promoter, David Higgins, backs his fighter by saying that he plans to fight for at least another five more years and that unifying the heavyweight division still their ultimate goal. To that end Higgins plans to have Parker back in action before the year is out, but is still assessing the right opponent for the former titleholder.

Do you think Parker has a real shot to recapture a world title, or have we already seen the best he has to offer?