Joseph Parker's world heavyweight title dream was alive and after he destroyed Russian Alexander Dimitrenko in Auckland in October 2016. The reward certainly outweighed the risk as Parker overpowered the giant Dimitrenko with a third round TKO at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau. Parker was looking for a statement performance as the eyes of the division and, importantly, rival promoters, were on him in a bout televised to 53 countries. He delivered, downing Dimitrenko four times with the fight eventually stopped 1m 38s into the third round.

Pre-fight Parker predicted he would need the early rounds to get a feel for the 40-year-old Haumono and once he found his range a tiring Haumono was visibly struggling before he was dropped by a right uppercut and failed to beat referee Bruce McTavish's count. Parker was in control from the opening bell and made his first inroads in the third when he landed a right and left to Haumono's head, though he responded by winging Parker on the jaw, though the blow made no impact. Haumono thought he had beaten the count and was fit to continue, though it would only have been only a matter of time before Parker ended proceedings before a capacity crowd of 5500.

In what was his biggest fight at the time, Parker took on Carlos Takam in his home town. Despite being the busier fighter, Parker was caught by a number of damaging blows, narrowly escaping a handful of close calls before finishing strong in front of a packed crowd in Manukau.  Taken the distance for just the third time in his career, the fight was won off the back of superior hand speed and a stiff snapping jab that kept the advancing Frenchman off balance.