Junior Fa

After winning his first 24 professional bouts and claiming the WBO world title in the process, Parker has lost his last two contests - leaving some doubting whether he belongs with the elite heavyweights.

But the 26-year-old insisted he's using those criticisms to drive him on what he hopes will be a path back to the belt.

"I hear the doubters all the time, for us we use it as something to give us drive, Parker said on Thursday after confirming his return to the ring in Christchurch on December 15.

American Di Bella is the former boss of HBO TV's boxing set up and boasts 70 fighters on his books, including WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

But Di Bella says he's excited at the addition of the 27-year-old, who will now be his only other heavyweight fighter besides Wilder.

"Junior has tremendous tools, size, reach - he has power and he has amateur pedigree," he said.

"He has to be developed properly and that's going to be the job for myself and his management to make sure that he is."

He was born and raised in South Auckland and said one of his biggest achievements was winning a bronze medal for Tonga in the super heavyweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He's best known for being the man who stopped Parker from going to the 2012 London Olympics and of their four amateur encounters, the pair have won two each.

But instead of following the same path as Parker, Fa decided to get a job and start a family.

RNZ reports Junior Fa will fight in his sixth professional bout against Samoan heavyweight Alapati A'asa on Parker's undercard.

But this won't be the first time Parker and Fa have been in the same ring.

The pair have faced each other four times during their amateur career - both winning two each.

While Parker went pro, Fa decided to start a family and get a full time job.

Now, three years later, Fa's returning to the ring where he hopes to carve out his own path in the professional boxing world with the help of Olympic shot putter, Jacko Gill.

Fa and Parker have history, splitting their four amateur fights two each, and momentum is slowly building behind the prospect of the pair eventually squaring off in the pro ranks.

Born and raised in South Auckland, Fa attended two Commonwealth Games with Tonga before taking three years out of the sport to have a family.