Parker vs Joshua, Instead of What's a fair split?
#43
Australian heavyweight Lucas Browne welcomes chance to finally fight Joseph Parker

Australian heavyweight is set to fight Joseph Parker for the WBO world title in March if plans for a unification bout with Anthony Joshua don't eventuate.

Rugged Australian Lucas Browne says the time is right for the Bledisloe Cup of boxing with a WBO world title fight against Joseph Parker set to be confirmed.

A fight between the two unbeaten heavyweights has been talked of for the last three years but never eventuated.

With Parker now able to nominate voluntary defences of his WBO belt, a tangle with the 38-year-old unbeaten Browne stacks up in terms of money and credibility and negotiations are well advanced.

Joseph Parker is having an extensive training camp in Auckland to finish his year.

The plan is to cash in on boxing's current high across the Tasman on the back of Jeff Horne's world title win over Manny Pacquiao and have the fight in either Sydney or Melbourne in March.

The only obstacle would be ongoing talks between Parker's promoter David Higgins and Anthony Joshua's backer Eddie Hearn about a unification fight in Britain early next year that could offer irresistible money.

Browne says he can live with that as he prepares to fight Parker.

"Unfortunately money does talk at the end of the day. As big a rivalry as it would be between Parker and myself, it's all about dollars and I can respect that as well. At the same time I don't think Eddie Hearn is exactly happy to give away money, so I'd be banking on it (the unification fight) not going through with Parker," Browne told Stuff.

In the twilight of his career Browne says he needs to cash in and feels the situation is ripe for that against the 25-year-old Parker.

"The whole Anzac thing, the cricket and the rugby, it's a lovely rivalry that we have got going on. This can be big," Browne, nicknamed "Big Daddy" said.

"But at the same time I'm just a humble, average sort of bloke who is obviously good at knocking people out. I think Parker himself is an excellent ambassador for the sport and New Zealand. From my end, I think it's going tyo be a nice fight where it's all about boxing and not trash talking."

Browne's 25-0 (22 KOs) record isn't without controversy, blighted by two doping controversies.

Early last year he beat Ruslan Chagev in Russia to win the WBA regular title. But Browne returned two positive tests for the banned substance clenbuterol before eventually being cleared. He was subsequently busted for a banned substance in one of his pre-workout supplements.

"I was stitched up for the first one but the second one was my fault. I can't fault anyone else ... I went into a shop and bought a pre-workout without checking it. I'll never do that again, we check everything now."

Browne said it had been a tough spell living with a tainted record.

"I have had a lot of time digesting lots of abuse for the last two years. I look like a two-time drugs cheat. But I've turned it all around, I've used the hate as a fuel to fight again," he said, though frustrations remain, mainly over lost opportunities.

"I thought once I won the WBA title, that was a step in the right direction for me and bigger fights would come after that. So I'm sort of back to square one in regards to the money and everything else. I've done what I needed to do, but now is the time to make money."

Browne, ranked No 13 by the WBA and No 17 by BoxRec, believes he has the size and style to make Parker uncomfortable.

"I think I'm bigger but at the same time I move a lot better for a bigger guy," the 1.96m former Kings Cross bouncer said.

"If I can put Parker on to the back foot where he is a little less comfortable, it will change the fight in a big way.

"Plus, Parker hasn't looked as good as he normally does since before the Andy Ruiz fight."

Browne has fought just once in the last 18 months but doesn't see his inactivity as a handicap given his personal motivation.

He has been in camp because he was due to return to Russia to fight unbeaten Sergei Kuzmin this month but has shelved that now in favour of tackling Parker for the world title.

He may have to fight before March to get a WBO regional belt and have the world title fight sanctioned. But that suits him.

"I would like to have a nice warmup fight in December or January and then fight Parker in March."

- Stuff
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RE: Parker vs Joshua, Instead of What's a fair split? - diehard - 11-07-2017, 05:35 PM

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