11-27-2016, 12:04 PM
No rematch clause for Joseph Parker's heavyweight boxing title fight with Andy Ruiz
Joseph Parker's WBO title fight on December 10 against Andy Ruiz is an all or nothing scenario.
No second chances. Win or you are back in the pack. That's the scenario facing Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz ahead of their December 10 showdown for the WBO heavyweight title in Auckland, with no rematch clause included in their contract.
Parker and Ruiz get their chance to contest the WBO's top prize after heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was stripped of his belts following cocaine and mental health issues.
The winner-takes-all script for the vacant title raises the stakes further. The victor will be free to plot their next step while the loser - no matter what the definitive or controversial circumstances - faces a potentially crippling setback and period of struggle to regain their status.
Both contenders are yet to suffer defeat in 50 combined fights. While Parker, 24, and Ruiz, 27, are young challengers, a loss could set them back anywhere between 12 months to two years.
"In modern boxing rematch clauses are like an insurance policy meaning you can cover and hedge against losses both financially and opportunity," Duco Events co owner David Higgins, one of Parker's promoters, said. "There is no rematch clause here. That makes it more exciting in that it's all on the line and the loser has no guarantee of anything and the winner will have total licence to proceed as they wish."
The WBO has ordered the winner of Parker-Ruiz to square off against David Haye early next year but the former cruiser and heavyweight champion, who returned from a three-and-a-half year absence in January, has now agreed to fight fellow Briton Tony Bellew on March 4 in London. Bellew is the WBC cruiserweight champion but the fight will be held at heavyweight.
Complicating matters further, Fury has also been told he will be given a shot at his old belts when he is fit to return.
Haye's decision to fight Bellew may rule him out of the next WBO challenge.
"It proves Haye is looking for the easy route; easy money," Higgins said. "That's the character of the man.
"We believe Andy Ruiz is a far tougher opponent than David Haye. Haye has been out of the ring for some time. His last two opponents were muppets and against [Wladimir] Klitschko he looked average.
"We regard Haye as an easier fight - and if we were to fight him in the UK we would almost have home advantage because so many people don't like him up there."
Before any of that plays out Parker must first get past Ruiz.
"There's numerous options and things change every day. December 10 is what matters. The day after that we get a whiteboard out and write up A, B C, D and assess them based on risk return and merit."
Ruiz's promoter, Bob Arum, also confirmed there was no rematch clause and conceded Parker deserved his favouritism.
"Joe is a big guy; a heavy handed puncher and in Andy he is fighting a guy who probably has the quickest hands in the heavyweight division. It's going to be very competitive," Arum said.
"We have great match makers and they say it's quite right that Joe should be the favourite but both of them give Andy a helluva shot to win the fight because of his speed and the fact Andy takes a tremendous punch."
- Stuff
Joseph Parker's WBO title fight on December 10 against Andy Ruiz is an all or nothing scenario.
No second chances. Win or you are back in the pack. That's the scenario facing Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz ahead of their December 10 showdown for the WBO heavyweight title in Auckland, with no rematch clause included in their contract.
Parker and Ruiz get their chance to contest the WBO's top prize after heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was stripped of his belts following cocaine and mental health issues.
The winner-takes-all script for the vacant title raises the stakes further. The victor will be free to plot their next step while the loser - no matter what the definitive or controversial circumstances - faces a potentially crippling setback and period of struggle to regain their status.
Both contenders are yet to suffer defeat in 50 combined fights. While Parker, 24, and Ruiz, 27, are young challengers, a loss could set them back anywhere between 12 months to two years.
"In modern boxing rematch clauses are like an insurance policy meaning you can cover and hedge against losses both financially and opportunity," Duco Events co owner David Higgins, one of Parker's promoters, said. "There is no rematch clause here. That makes it more exciting in that it's all on the line and the loser has no guarantee of anything and the winner will have total licence to proceed as they wish."
The WBO has ordered the winner of Parker-Ruiz to square off against David Haye early next year but the former cruiser and heavyweight champion, who returned from a three-and-a-half year absence in January, has now agreed to fight fellow Briton Tony Bellew on March 4 in London. Bellew is the WBC cruiserweight champion but the fight will be held at heavyweight.
Complicating matters further, Fury has also been told he will be given a shot at his old belts when he is fit to return.
Haye's decision to fight Bellew may rule him out of the next WBO challenge.
"It proves Haye is looking for the easy route; easy money," Higgins said. "That's the character of the man.
"We believe Andy Ruiz is a far tougher opponent than David Haye. Haye has been out of the ring for some time. His last two opponents were muppets and against [Wladimir] Klitschko he looked average.
"We regard Haye as an easier fight - and if we were to fight him in the UK we would almost have home advantage because so many people don't like him up there."
Before any of that plays out Parker must first get past Ruiz.
"There's numerous options and things change every day. December 10 is what matters. The day after that we get a whiteboard out and write up A, B C, D and assess them based on risk return and merit."
Ruiz's promoter, Bob Arum, also confirmed there was no rematch clause and conceded Parker deserved his favouritism.
"Joe is a big guy; a heavy handed puncher and in Andy he is fighting a guy who probably has the quickest hands in the heavyweight division. It's going to be very competitive," Arum said.
"We have great match makers and they say it's quite right that Joe should be the favourite but both of them give Andy a helluva shot to win the fight because of his speed and the fact Andy takes a tremendous punch."
- Stuff