Joseph Parker has no intention of walking away from boxing after losing to Dillian Whyte - and would be happy to do it all over again after the two heavyweights combined to produce a thriller at the O2 Arena.

Knocked down twice by the home favourite in front of a sold-out crowd in London, New Zealander Parker threatened to produce a stunning turnaround when he dropped Whyte in the 12th round.

Yet the late push was not enough for the former WBO champion to triumph on the scorecards as he was beaten for the second successive outing, having lost his title - as well as his unbeaten record - against Anthony Joshua in March.

The back-to-back disappointments led to questions over his future in the post-fight press conference, but the 26-year-old remains confident he can come back stronger and secure a major belt again.

"I've had a goal, and I stand by my goals. It will be great to be a two-time world champion, a unified world champion," Parker told the media.

"Thirty, thirty-one, then I'm out. For now, though, I want to go hard and give it everything I have."

Parker accepted the blame for this latest defeat, putting it down to his failure to carry out the plan designed by his trainer, Kevin Barry.

The visiting fighter started brightly before being put down late in the second round, while he struggled to cope at times with the pressure applied by the aggressive Whyte.

"I was very hungry in this fight. I was motivated and wanted to win," Parker added. "We had a great plan - I feel like I didn't execute it well enough.

"There were a few things that we executed in camp that I wasn't able to do [in the ring]. When you have a fighter who is hungry, and who has the will to win like Dillian Whyte, it's hard to execute that plan.

"I just need to work on a few things when I get back."

Asked if he would like the chance to fight Whyte again, Parker replied: "It would be great to have a rematch. I think it was a great fight – we threw a lot of punches and knocked each other down. It just depends on what the team is happy with."

Promoter David Higgins guaranteed Parker will not be short of opportunities when, rather than if, he decides to step between the ropes again.

He also revealed his boxer was troubled by a clash of heads that led to the first knockdown, though referee Ian John Lewis ruled the damage was done by a left hook, crucially making it a 10-8 round in Whyte's favour.

"Finding the right comeback opportunity won't be hard," Higgins told the media.

"I've soaked up the response from the public and I'm very confident that there will be a range of great comeback options – if he wants to come back. I've heard nothing to suggest he doesn't.

"He can go home, relax, rest and take stock. The good news, though, is I can guarantee there are a range of solid comeback options on the table.

"Joseph is not one to talk about this, but he said the head that caught him behind the ear shook his balance. For me, because I've watched all the fights, something didn't seem quite right.

"Dillian came in as a bully and was tough, so for Joe to hang in there during those middle rounds, and then nearly win it at the end, it's frustrating. If there had been another minute, the end result may have been different."