Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-1, 18 KOs) is gearing up for his next fight.

Last month, Parker suffered the first defeat of his professional career after suffering a twelve round unanimous decision loss at the hands of IBF, IBO, WBA champion Anthony Joshua at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Parker became the first boxer to extend Joshua to the full twelve round distance, but he also lost his WBO world title in the process.

The 26 year old fighter went on vacation in Samoa and now he's returned to Auckland, where he already began some light training.

According to promoter David Higgins, the next fight for Parker will take place in late July or early August and it's a 50-50 probability of taking place in New Zealand.

They are hoping to secure an opponent of worth who is world ranked within the top 15.

"The absence of a good opportunity in the UK would necessitate looking at New Zealand and whether we can mount a credible promotion here with a big name opponent," Higgins told New Zealand Radio.

"[Joseph's next opponent] is someone that's big and tall, because a lot of the top guys are big and tall and he can learn from his mistakes [against Joshua]. It's ideally someone in the top 15 or top 10 of the sanctioning bodies and someone with a name that's promotable."

This weekend at the O2 Arena in London, Tony Bellew and David Haye will collide in rematch of their grudge fight from March 2017.

Parker would be open to fight the winner or even the loser, but Higgins doubts that either of them would face his man.

"Look, I don't think either would be willing to fight Joseph because they'd be worried about losing," Higgins said. "But I think we'd be willing to fight the winner or the loser [of that fight]."