Duco Events is expected to have confirmed today that Razvan Cojanu will challenge Parker for the WBO heavyweight belt.
Cojanu meets the WBO criteria of being in their top 15 list, just, being ranked at 14. The 30-year-old Cojanu has a 16 win, two loss record.
Americans Dominic Breazeale and Deontay Wilder have also put their hands up to fight Parker, since Fury pulled out of the May 6 bout citing a lower back injury.
Boxing commentator Mike Angove told Radio New Zealand that at just over 2m tall, Cojanu is "a similar height to Fury, I understand he has been in camp with Parker, which is an interesting situation but what it does mean is that he will be fit and ready to fight. He will probably create difficulties knowing Parker, so some of Parker's trademark moves he may not pull off as easily.
"Looking at who Cojanu has fought compared to who Parker has fought I'd suggest Parker will be pretty well equipped to tackle him.
"Cojanu hits harder than Fury he has had 300 amateur fights and he has a nasty left hook to the head and body and coming from the height at which he throws it will create some difficulties for Parker."
Wilder wants Parker
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder says he is ready to fight Joseph Parker now and is more than happy to face the WBO champion in Auckland.
In an explosive interview with Radio Sport Breakfast, Wilder said it was time boxing got real about unifying the heavyweight division instead of boxers being continually positioned for pay days.
And the American has urged Parker's co-promoters Duco Events to pull out of finding another back-up to replace Hughie Fury, who quit the May 6 title challenge in Auckland citing a lower back injury.
Under the WBO orders, Parker must find someone on their top 15 heavyweight list, which would rule out Wilder for now. Duco is expected to announce today that Romanian Razvan Cojanu, ranked at 14 by the WBO, will replace Fury for the fight in Auckland.
In a no holds barred interview with Radio Sport, Wilder urged Duco to set up an immediate fight to unify the WBO and WBC belts. He repeated his plea for the winner of that fight to meet the winner of the Wladimir Klitschko-Anthony Joshua showdown at Wembley this weekend.
WBC champion Deontay Wilder says he is ready to fight Joseph Parker in Auckland, right now
The 31-year-old Wilder, speaking from Nevada, said: "Put your money where your mouth is, put your belt where your mouth is.
"I was trying to be his [Parker's] next opponent. Why would you want to fight anyone else? I'm just tired of sitting around.
"A lot of promoters and managers have got to stop being scared, everyone has got to lose some time. It's an unpredictable sport and that's what I love about it.
"I don't care where it is...here, there, on the moon. It don't matter to me. I don't care if it is one people or 100,000 watching, it is one ring, one opponent.
"I'm not scared, it's perfect. Why would you want to fight anyone else?"
Meanwhile the war of words involving the Fury camp has continued, with fallen champ Tyson Fury attacking Wilder in response to Wilder's attack on Hughie Fury.
Tyson Fury tweeted: "I see old bronze balls (Wilder) is spouting s@#$ again."
Wilder has claimed a lack of confidence, rather than injury, led Hughie Fury to pull out of the Auckland title challenge.
