Joseph Parker

Parker's boxing revival is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the former world heavyweight champion has showed he has plenty of strings to his bow during lockdown.

The New Zealander attempted to lift the gloom by starring in uplifting videos while in quarantine, first showing off his moves in a recreation of the 'Dancing Prime Minister' scene from the film Love Actually.

Parker then strutted his stuff while lip-syncing to The Foundations' smash hit Build Me up Buttercup, also demonstrating his prowess with a guitar and on the piano.

Parker continued his revival by stopping Shawndell Winters in February to extend his winning streak to three fights.

The New Zealander has no idea when his next bout will be due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the former WBO champion revealed quarantine life has further fuelled his determination to rise to the top.

He told Stats Perform: "Time off like this is really important. It's not something that we choose to happen, but I guess everyone can use this time to reflect on our lives and think about what makes us happy and what we want to do.

Parker landed 68 power punches to Winter's 28, saying in the post-fight interview that he was looking to be a bit more patient in the fight.

He also said he was open to fighting anyone in the top 10, including Dereck Chisora, who he was meant to fight last year.

The 28-year-old also said he was open to a rematch with Englishman Dillian Whyte, who he lost to in 2018.

Round 5 - That's it! Parker wins by knockout after a beautiful combination. A big right hand did the damage initially, but there were a few more punches that landed as Winters wemt down.

Parker, 28, hasn't fought since last June, where he earned a TKO victory over Alex Leapai in Providence.

Standing in the Kiwi's way is 39-year-old Winters, boasting a record of 13 wins and two defeats from his 15 professional fights.

Parker fights in Frisco, on the outskirts of Dallas, in a Matchroom Boxing promotion at the end of February.

Attempts to get a late opponent have reportedly resulted in Winters agreeing terms from a shortlist that also included the respectable Polish fighter Mariusz Wach.

It seems Wach, coming off a decent performance in losing to Britain's Dillian Whyte, priced himself out of the bout and the 39-year-old Winters will step in.

The fight's promoter Eddie Hearn has announced Parker has pulled out due to illness.

Reports out of the US suggest Parker's illness may have been caused by a spider bite.

It was scheduled to be Parker's second fight with Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.

Parker's last fight was against Alex Leapai - he won it with a TKO in the 10th round.

It is understood John Parker assaulted at least one member of the public after being removed from a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles due to a ticketing issue. 

The 25-year-old was also involved in a physical incident with a member of Joseph Parker's extended management team at a Chicago hotel the previous night. Stuff has confirmed manager David Higgins was not involved. Parker's entourage have suggested that "mental health issues" were a factor. 

Parker will take on American Eric Molina on June 29 in Providence, Rhode Island on the undercard of the WBO middleweight world title fight between Demetrius Andrade and Maciej Sulecki.

The bout marks the beginning of the second phase of Parker’s career – and the start of the road to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Fightnews.com reported that Parker and American Jarrell Miller turned down an opportunity to fight Usyk, according to his promoter, Alexander Krassyuk.

Usyk (16-0, 12 KO's), 31, is the current undisputed cruiserweight world champion, but wants to move up a weight class to take on the best in boxing.

Cruiserweight is the weight division below heavyweight.  

Higgins took to Twitter to on Sunday to deny that they'd rejected a deal to fight the Ukrainian, tagging the reporter in the post.

The former WBO world champion has fallen to seventh in the ratings produced by the self-proclaimed 'Bible of Boxing', with Britons Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury filling the top two spots, followed by American Deontay Wilder.

Cuban Luis Ortiz, American Dillian Whyte and Russian Alexander Povetkin round out the top six, with Parker next.

"If that's how they rank it, then of course, I don't have much to say about that," Parker told RadioLIVE's Sunday Sport. "It's highly respected.