OPINION: No doubt, Joseph Parker's heavyweight title aspirations were dealt a major blow with a points loss to Dillian Whyte in London on Sunday (NZ time).
A win would have propelled the Kiwi to the cusp of a championship fight with Deontay Wilder at Madison Square Garden or Anthony Joshua at Wembley in 2019.
That awaits Whyte now, while Parker may very well be headed back home to the Manukau Event Centre.
So what is next for the 26-year-old?
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Talk of retirement is ludicrous. The Kiwi is still easily among the 10 best heavyweights on the planet, in a division where one punch can change the direction of a career.
He is only two, maybe three statement wins away from a mandatory challenge.
Personally, I would like to see Parker take a step back to evaluate his health, mindset and motivation, before jumping back inside the ring.
That time will come and Team Parker will have a choice to make about who will stand opposite their charge.
The smart fight - Lucas Browne
The Australian was undefeated, until he ran into the ferocious Dillian Whyte earlier this year. Whyte obliterated Browne inside six rounds.
This is a winnable fight for Parker, with Browne lacking in defensive technique, although he does pack a punch.
For me, this is a low-risk, low-reward no-brainer, but also a great opportunity to come home and fight in front of his friends, fans and family.
The dangerous fight - Dereck Chisora
The Brit made a statement on Sunday, knocking out Carlos Takam inside eight rounds, something neither Anthony Joshua nor Parker could accomplish.
Chisora is hugely popular in the UK. He is eccentric, exciting and a little bit mad.
Again, he’s not the best defensively, but as he showed against Whyte two years ago, he can throw down with the best of them.
Given David Higgins’ great relationship with Eddie Hearn, there’s no reason why this fight couldn't be the co-feature on the Anthony Joshua undercard at Wembley in March.
Parker is good enough to beat Chisora soundly, but there is huge risk here, should he get involved in a fire-fight with the Brit.
Other possibilities
Bryant Jennings: Parker was close to inking a deal to fight the American stateside, but then the Whyte bout popped up. Jennings is a veteran who, aside from Joshua, would be the best tactician on Parker’s CV.
Dominic Breazeale: Parker would struggle with the American's size. At 2.01m, Breazeale is awkward to combat, with only one career loss.
Breazeale was battered by Joshua inside seven rounds. The 32-year-old is highly ranked by the WBC and WBO, so it would be a great opportunity for the Kiwi to jump back into the title hunt.
Tyson Fury: Fury needs a ‘name’ fight before he gets his 'AJ' payday. What better way for the 'Gypsy King' to make a statement than knock out Parker, something Joshua and Whyte both failed to do.
This is a huge outside possibility, but it actually makes sense for both guys, if Parker is willing to take the risk.
Brad Lewis is Newshub online producer.
