Parker gets opponent for Dec. 15 return

Parker will face Alexander Flores in New Zealand.

Former WBO heavyweight titleholder Joseph Parker will return to action on December 15 in New Zealand, and now has an opponent for his homecoming.

Parker (24-2, 18 KO) will take on Alexander Flores (17-1-1, 15 KO) in Christchurch as he Parker looks to end a two-fight losing streak and finish 2018 on a higher note heading into the new year.

Parker, 26, lost his WBO title to Anthony Joshua in a unification bout on March 31, and followed that up with a hard-fought defeat against Dillian Whyte on July 28. Both of those fights took place in the United Kingdom.

Flores, 28, is a California native who faced Charles Martin, a future short-lived titleholder, in a matchup of unbeaten prospects back in 2014. Martin knocked Flores out in the fourth round. Since then, Flores has fought four times, going 3-0-1, with all of his wins coming in club fights in Tijuana. On paper, he’s a tune-up opponent for Parker, which was thought to be the idea for whomever got this date. But he’s got a shot to score a big win, easily the biggest fight of Flores’ career.