Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker will be sporting a slimmer look this week as he prepares for his scheduled ten-round bout against Faigo Opelu. Parker officially weighed in at 214 ¾ pounds during Tuesday’s pre-fight weigh-in ceremony for the Main Event Pay-Per-View from Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, Australia. This is Parker’s lightest weight since March 2018, when he lost his WBO title to Anthony Joshua.
Parker, who has weighed 240 pounds or more in his last eight outings, is notably five pounds lighter than his official weight for his last fight against Jack Massey. He will be returning to Oceania region for the first time since his points win over countryman Junior Fa in Auckland in February 2021. Parker, born in South Auckland, currently trains in Morecambe, England, with lineal/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Opelu, who is stepping up in class, has a record of 15-3-2, 11 KOs and is Samoa-born but based in Queensland. The 29-year-old heavyweight has won two of his last five outings, with the most recent being a technical draw versus countryman Kris Terzievski in March 2021.
The co-feature will be a six-round matchup of undefeated Australian junior middleweight prospects, where second-generation boxer Nikita Tszyu will face Benjamin Bommber. Tszyu, son of Hall of Fame former junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, turned pro just last March 3. He weighed in at 153.9 pounds, while Bommber, from Melbourne, was officially 153 ¼ pounds on his second attempt.
Also on the show, 2020 Olympian David Nyika will compete in a scheduled five-round cruiserweight contest against Louis Marsters. Nyika weighed in at 199 pounds, while Marsters was 199 ¼ pounds.