Joseph Parker could go backward to go forwards, eyeing a rematch against Brit Dillian Whyte as he plots a course back to the top of heavyweight boxing.
Parker, 30, is at a career crossroads after suffering a third career loss and first career knockout at the weekend.
Facing Brit Joe Joyce at Manchester's AO Arena, Parker was in trouble from the third round onwards and was finally felled in the 11th round, as a Joyce left hook sent the Kiwi to the canvas, where he was counted out.
Parker's next move will be crucial if he's to stay in the mix as a heavyweight contender.
But while Parker himself stated his need for a rest first and foremost, his immediate future could lie in the past.
Speaking to English site iD Boxing, Parker outlined his next target is 34-year-old Dillian Whyte, giving him the chance to square off again as the Brit took a controversial victory when they first met back in 2018.
In their first fight, Whyte took victory by a unanimous points decision, despite claims of an illegal shot from Parker's camp.
"I'd love to fight Dillian Whyte," Parker told iD Boxing. "If he's free and available, and there's nothing locked in for him.
"I think it would be a great fight. He's coming off a loss against Tyson [Fury] and I'm coming off a loss against Joyce.
"If we can make it happen, it would be great because the first fight was a close fight and a tough fight.
"We can make it a more exciting fight the second time around."
Whyte boasts a professional record of 28-3 from 31 fights, similar to Parker's 30-3 from 33 fights.
Parker's camp, led by former trainer Kevin Barry, has always maintained Whyte won the first clash unfairly, after a clash of heads in the second round should have resulted in a drawn fight.
Despite the protests though, Parker's camp never appealed the loss.
Parker also insists he needs to return to the ring soon, with the nine-month gap between facing Joyce and his bout against Derek Chisora at the end of 2021 taking its toll.
"As a fighter, and I take myself as an example, the busier I am with fights, the better I get," he added.
"When you have a long time away from the fighting, you sort of lose touch. I'd like to fight as soon as I can.
"[I'll] go home, see my wife and kids, recover and rest, spend some quality time and then come back and see what's next."
