Lupesoliai Joseph Parker signed his three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing because he thought it would give him the best chance to get back to the top of the heavyweight boxing division.

The 27-year-old former W.B.O. Heavyweight Champion told the Samoa Observer he feels they were the best promoters to sign with.

Lupesoliai’s contract with previous promoter, Duco Events, ended in March.

“It was a great and successful partnership, we accomplished many things,” he said.

The Samoan boxer has taken Duco Founder and Director, Segiali'i David Higgins, on as his Manager going forward, and together they negotiated the deal with Matchroom.

Lupesoliai said they chose to sign with Hearn because of Matchroom’s presence across the United Kingdom and the United States.

He also said they have a big stable of heavyweight fighters, and it should be easier to make fights happen against people under the same promoter.

“They promote great shows, and from our relationships in the past we worked well together and made deals quite fast.

“The heavyweight division has opened up a lot, and I’m excited for the fights that I’m gonna be involved in.”

One of Matchroom’s poster-boys, Anthony Joshua, just lost his W.B.A., I.B.F., W.B.O. and I.B.O. titles to Andy Ruiz Jr. last weekend, which means Joshua likely goes to the front of the line for Hearn in terms of getting opportunities to contend for titles.

“Even though Ruiz won, I’m still happy with the deal that I have,” Lupesoliai said.

He said his career is still in a rebuilding phase.

“I know I can get back to the top and I know I can beat those guys at the top, but I have to rebuild in order to get there, and take the right fights to climb the ladder again.”

Lupesoliai said he’s still young and has plenty of time left in the sport.

“We’ve achieved a lot at a young age, and it’s far from over.

“Everyone has an opinion, and everyone says maybe you had your chance at the top, now you’re finished and all that.

“I know what my goals are, and our team knows what our goals are, so we’re all aiming towards that goal.

“As long as we know what we wanna do in the boxing world, and with our lives, then everyone’s opinion doesn’t matter.”

Lupesoliai wants to fit three fights in before the end of the year, the first of which will be his Matchroom debut on June 29, likely to be against Eric Molina.

“I think it’s important to keep busy,” Lupesoliai said.

“After my last fight and my contract finished I had the longest time off I’ve had since I turned professional.

“It was good to spend time with the family and the kids back home, and relax for a bit.”

However he said he returned to camp in Las Vegas in the best shape he had ever entered a camp in.

“Because I was able to maintain a good training regime when I was back [home in New Zealand].”