Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 KOs) has finalized his next opponent.

Parker is now scheduled to face Alexander Flores, who has a record of 17-1-1, with 15 wins by knockout.

Parker will look to bounce back after two consecutive defeats - a twelve round decision loss to Anthony Joshua in their unification bout in March, and then a twelve round decision to Dillian Whyte in July.

The fight with Alexander takes place at Christchurch's Horncastle Arena on December 15.

Alexander has never been in the ring with someone of Parker's level, and most of his wins have been against overmatched competition.

When he stepped up against Charles Martin in 2014, he was knocked out in four rounds. And then in his following fight he fought to a split draw with a 4-4 fighter.

"For me, boxing is all about the challenge - and this is another big one. I know what is at stake. I need to win and win well. I need to knock him out and I will knock him out. But I can't focus on that, I need to focus on getting better, each and every time I get in the ring," Parker said.

Of course, even trainer Kevin Barry admits that another loss would see the end of his boxer - especially at the top level.

"After a five-year undefeated run that took Joe all the way to the WBO world title, we now find ourselves in very unusual territory, coming off back-to-back losses. Joe has never been in this position before and needs a top performance. Joe finds himself under huge pressure to not only win this fight, but to win big and get his career back on track," Barry said.

"We've known for some time it was likely to be Flores and it is great to have that confirmed. These guys are the same height and they both pack a serious punch, so it stacks up as a great contest. This is a dangerous fight. A fight where Joseph Parker is fighting for his career."