British boxing star Tony Bellew has confirmed Joseph Parker remains his preferred option as long as the Kiwi heavyweight can retain his WBO world heavyweight title against Hughie Fury.
Parker defends his title for the second time when he makes his long-awaited UK debut against Fury in Manchester on September 23.
Bellew, a world cruiserweight champion who stunned fellow British heavyweight David Haye last March, is back in training and eyeing his options.
He has ruled out a rematch with Haye. He likes the money involved in a fight with unbeaten world light-heavyweight champion Andre Ward but says Parker's belt tops his list.
"We've sat down with Andre Ward's team, I've personally sat down with Joseph Parker and his team, and I leave Eddie (Hearn, his manager) to deal with the other fella (Haye) from London.
"David is an amazing fighter, athlete and sportsman, (but) when it comes to business he's an absolute moron ... well it's not even him, it's people his side.
"I'm sure they say the business people my side are morons too because we're all fighting to get that little percentage more.
"I'm further away than ever with the David Haye fight, that's just the way it is. I'm a lot closer now to the Andre Ward fight than I ever have been before.
"I like the Andre Ward fight. The numbers didn't match up at first but then Eddie worked out a way where it can work favourably for what I want.
"There's the Joseph Parker fight; the lure of becoming heavyweight champion for me outweighs everything else.
"The money does play a factor but the lure and the dream of becoming heavyweight champion of the world - no money in the world can ever make that up."
Parker is eager to make his fortune in Britain. Beating Fury and then taking out the respected, but smaller, Bellew would be an ideal lead-in to a unification bout with WBC and IBF champion Anthony Joshua.
Parker, 25, is being courted in the United States as well.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who co-promotes Parker in an American capacity, is eager to have the Kiwi fight against Bryant Jennings who is on the comeback trail.
Arum has signed Jennings who hasn't fought for almost two years. Jennings is looking to rebound from consecutive losses in 2015 - a points decision to then-world champion Wladimir Klitschko followed by a seventh-round knockout loss to giant Cuban Luis Ortiz.
The 32-year-old Jennings faces Daniel Martz in Nebraska next week and Arum would then like him to step up a notch in December.
"And then if all goes well in that fight, we will try to make a world title fight for him. I'll try to make Joseph Parker against Jennings on ESPN in the United States next spring," Arum told ESPN boxing.
Photo: REUTERS Caption: Tony Bellew hasn't fought since upsetting David Haye and says Joseph Parker's world heavyweight belt continues to be his next goal.