The heavyweight division is on cusp of upheaval. A loss here is a one-way ticket to the bottom

Heavyweight boxing is back this weekend with Kiwi former champ Joseph Parker locking horns with undefeated English knockout artist Fabio Wardley — and the stakes are extremely high.

Parker has grown used to things not working out like he wants them to. Twice this year, the star has been denied the chance to bid for a second reign as world champion.

First, it was Daniel Dubois, the then-IBF champion in February, who pulled up ill before the New Zealander was due to challenge him for his prized crown in Riyadh.

Parker vs Wardley | Sunday 26 Oct from 4:30am AEDT – estimated main event ring walk time 8:30am AEDT | A classic heavyweight showdown takes place at the 02 Arena in London, as NZ’s Joseph Parker takes on Fabio Wardley | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Then, it was Oleksandr Usyk, who petitioned the WBO for an extension on a mandatory order, claiming injury would prevent a fair defence of his undisputed crown this year.

Both times, Parker has been forced to play the waiting game. In Saudi Arabia earlier this year, he made the most of a missed opportunity, seemingly sanguine about the affair.

He faced off with Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren after replacement Martin Bakole missed the weigh-in, then spanked the latter inside two brutal rounds.

He acquiesced to the decision that allowed Dubois to bypass a rescheduled fight and challenge Usyk for all four belts at Wembley Stadium this July, content to wait for the winner.

But now, he will no longer wait for the moment to come to him – and with the Ukrainian off the table, has picked arguably the toughest test he could in the heavyweight market.

Like Parker, Fabio Wardley is an interim champion, the man sanctioned by one of the sport’s four major governing bodies to be the next cab off the rank for their ultimate prize.

Like the Auckland man, the Ipswich star has built his way through a crowded division, seeing off domestic and international opponents to solidify his status as a key player.

And like the New Zealander, the Briton knows that the only way to trade up for a shot at a full title – to “have the other half” – is to beat the man in front of him on Saturday night.

Explain this Sunday’s headliner in a sentence?

It’s a battle of punch versus polish, with Parker’s experience and skill up against Wardley’s aggression and power.

What titles are on the line?

Parker holds the WBO interim title, while Wardley has the WBA interim title – both will be on the line when they step into the ring.

The winner likely gets a shot at undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk.

What will happen to the loser?

The loser, however, gets a long trip back to the bottom. Parker and Wardley have fought tooth-and-nail to reach their place in the pecking order – but boxing is a cruel game.

The permutations are vast. The heavyweight division feels on the cusp of a sea change. Younger stars like Moses Itauma are tearing holes through veterans like Dillian Whyte.

Though only three years younger than his foe, Wardley still feels green to an extent, the result of no amateur career and a rapid ascent through the ranks over the past few years.

Defeat for him would be a roadblock, but not an insurmountable obstacle to a world title challenge. He remains young enough that he can rebuild and come through again.

Parker, though, has had his rebuild – two of them, in fact, if you consider his loss to Joe Joyce set him back a year or so in real time. A third for any star is one hell of a stretch.

How was the press conference?

As press conferences go, it was an event without needle. Parker suggested he will smash Wardley. Wardley accepted it as a likely outcome, but still promised to deliver the result.

The face-off that followed was low-key, before both men went their separate ways again, off to conduct further interviews before returning to their bases with just two nights to go.

For heavyweight boxing, so often prone to its showmen – Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Derek Chisora to name but a few – this has been a week of uncharacteristic chumminess.

But make no mistake, both men here are aware that there is plenty to gain and to lose from this encounter – and that for one of them, it could be a long way back to the summit.

MORE BOXING

PARKER EXCLUSIVE: Kiwi star reveals what’s standing in way of Aussie blockbuster… and ‘myth’ question for UK rival