05-11-2022, 04:17 PM
Joseph Parker v Joe Joyce fight talks 'on a knife edge'
Duncan Johnstone
06:53, May 11 2022
Heavyweights Joseph Parker and Joe Joyce are close to a July fight in London
Contract negotiations for Joseph Parker’s proposed heavyweight clash with Britain’s Joe Joyce are “on a knife-edge”.
The fight has been talked up in Britain for July 2 at Wembley Arena, but there are complications that now put a question mark over that date.
Parker’s manager David Higgins is in intense talks with Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren who is now looking for a multi-fight deal with Parker who is a free agent.
Higgins said there was only “a slim chance” of the July 2 date being met.
With Parker home on a surprise visit to his family in Auckland, Higgins said a fight contract would have to land in the next few days for that to happen, requiring Parker to get in an appropriate UK camp with his trainer Andy Lee.
“It’s on a knife-edge,” Higgins said.
“They want a longer term deal which means it needs to be carefully contracted, every eventually needs to be 100% right. If it was one fight against Joyce it would be easier.”
Joseph Parker dominated Derek Chisora in their rematch to boost his British profile.
Higgins’ theory is that Parker looked so good in his December demolition of Dereck Chisora in Manchester that the Joyce team are now worried, especially with the WBO’s mandatory challenging position to the heavyweight title at stake.
“They are now putting quite a lot of effort into tying Joe up for more than one fight. That works as long as the contract is well set out and protects Joseph,” Higgins said.
The delicate nature of the negotiations could see the highly anticipated fight pushed out.
Parker has been enjoying his time at home with family and attended his younger brother John’s majority points win over fellow Aucklander Dylan Wright last weekend.
It was John Parker’s first fight since last July because of the pandemic complications, and it has earned him an instant co-headline act for a May 20 promotion being put on at the Auckland Museum by Nick Randell of Podis Boxing.
John Parker will rematch Wright. With one judge scoring their first fight over four rounds a draw, the sequel will be over six rounds.
The fight night will be headlined by outstanding Kiwi prospect Jerome Pampellone stepping up to cruiserweight to fight Nik Charalampous.
Randell had wanted to have Pampellone and John Parker fight for the New Zealand light-heavyweight title last year or early this year but, again, Covid restrictions intervened.
John Parker is out to keep his unbeaten run as a light-heavyweight going.
Under the circumstances John Parker felt he wasn’t prepared enough for that challenge yet and is now trying to keep busy to make that fight happen later in the year.
John Parker’s schedule is likely to include heading to Britain with Joseph for a fight on his UK undercard and to polish his skills in an environment that has certainly added spite to his big brother’s game.
“That will be good for Joe to have someone from his family with him while he is away from home, and it will be good for John to get into that environment,” Higgins said.
Randell agrees and feels if John Parker can get a dominant win or two it will set up the Pampellone fight for later in the year.
Duncan Johnstone
06:53, May 11 2022
Heavyweights Joseph Parker and Joe Joyce are close to a July fight in London
Contract negotiations for Joseph Parker’s proposed heavyweight clash with Britain’s Joe Joyce are “on a knife-edge”.
The fight has been talked up in Britain for July 2 at Wembley Arena, but there are complications that now put a question mark over that date.
Parker’s manager David Higgins is in intense talks with Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren who is now looking for a multi-fight deal with Parker who is a free agent.
Higgins said there was only “a slim chance” of the July 2 date being met.
With Parker home on a surprise visit to his family in Auckland, Higgins said a fight contract would have to land in the next few days for that to happen, requiring Parker to get in an appropriate UK camp with his trainer Andy Lee.
“It’s on a knife-edge,” Higgins said.
“They want a longer term deal which means it needs to be carefully contracted, every eventually needs to be 100% right. If it was one fight against Joyce it would be easier.”
Joseph Parker dominated Derek Chisora in their rematch to boost his British profile.
Higgins’ theory is that Parker looked so good in his December demolition of Dereck Chisora in Manchester that the Joyce team are now worried, especially with the WBO’s mandatory challenging position to the heavyweight title at stake.
“They are now putting quite a lot of effort into tying Joe up for more than one fight. That works as long as the contract is well set out and protects Joseph,” Higgins said.
The delicate nature of the negotiations could see the highly anticipated fight pushed out.
Parker has been enjoying his time at home with family and attended his younger brother John’s majority points win over fellow Aucklander Dylan Wright last weekend.
It was John Parker’s first fight since last July because of the pandemic complications, and it has earned him an instant co-headline act for a May 20 promotion being put on at the Auckland Museum by Nick Randell of Podis Boxing.
John Parker will rematch Wright. With one judge scoring their first fight over four rounds a draw, the sequel will be over six rounds.
The fight night will be headlined by outstanding Kiwi prospect Jerome Pampellone stepping up to cruiserweight to fight Nik Charalampous.
Randell had wanted to have Pampellone and John Parker fight for the New Zealand light-heavyweight title last year or early this year but, again, Covid restrictions intervened.
John Parker is out to keep his unbeaten run as a light-heavyweight going.
Under the circumstances John Parker felt he wasn’t prepared enough for that challenge yet and is now trying to keep busy to make that fight happen later in the year.
John Parker’s schedule is likely to include heading to Britain with Joseph for a fight on his UK undercard and to polish his skills in an environment that has certainly added spite to his big brother’s game.
“That will be good for Joe to have someone from his family with him while he is away from home, and it will be good for John to get into that environment,” Higgins said.
Randell agrees and feels if John Parker can get a dominant win or two it will set up the Pampellone fight for later in the year.