09-30-2023, 10:43 AM
Joseph Parker secures fight on undercard of Tyson Fury's clash with ex-UFC champ
A jet-lagged Tyson Fury discusses his friendship with Joseph Parker ahead of the Kiwi's comeback.
Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker is set to fight in Saudi Arabia next month in one of the biggest boxing events of the year.
The former WBO heavyweight champion will appear on the undercard for Tyson Fury's novelty fight with ex-UFC heavyweight king Frances Ngannou.
Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), will return for his third bout of the year against largely unknown Canadian Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in Riyadh on October 28.
Parker, who trains in Morecambe, England, at Fury’s gym has often floated the idea of appearing on his close friend’s undercard, but his clash with Kean will be the first time it’s eventuated.
Parker will be a huge favourite in the fight that will be by far the biggest occasion of Kean’s professional career.
Joseph Parker will fight on close friend Tyson Fury’s undercard when the WBC champ takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Frances Ngannou.
The headline fight between Fury and Ngannou – where ‘The Gypsy King’s’ WBC belt won’t be on the line – has been described by many in the boxing world as a major event but not a contest, while UFC president Dana White labelled it “gimmicky”.
Many boxing fans are also disappointed Fury isn’t fighting WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO unified champion Oleksandr Usyk to see who rules the heavyweight division.
Undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford was asked earlier this year what chance Ngannou has of victory. To which he simply replied: “Zero”.
And he’s far from alone, but the cross-code boxing fight will draw the eyeballs of the combat sports world, providing the perfect platform for a rebuilding Parker.
He has put two notches back in the win column since his knockout loss to Joe Joyce last September.
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will square off in the boxing ring.
The first, an unconvincing unanimous decision victory against Enghisman Jack Massey (20-2) in January – who had come up from cruiserweight – and the latest, a first round knockout over Australian Faiga Opelu (15-4-2) back in May.
And Kean looks a prime candidate to be the third win on the trot for Parker. Height would seem Kean’s only advantage, with the 34-year-old Canadian being three years older than Parker, boasting less experience and having zero fights against champions like Parker has fought.
Kean, an orthodox boxer who lost in the quarter-finals at the 2012 Olympics, only has one loss on his record, which came against fellow Canadian Dillon Carman (now retired) back in 2018, but he’s also only fought outside of Canada once and doesn’t have a single elite-level opponent on his record.
His best win came in his last fight, against a long way past his best Eric Molina (29-8).
Joseph Parker’s last fight was a first round knockout against Faiga Opelu.
Like Parker, he also has stoppage victories over American journeymen Shawndell Terell Winters and Daniel Martz – who the Kiwi knocked out in the first round way back in 2015.
The Fury and Ngannou undercard is exclusively a heavyweight affair, highlighted by an exciting all-English clash between two undefeated boxers in David Adeleye (12-0 11 KOs) and Fabio Wardley (16-0 15 KOs).
Former Parker opponent, Carlos Takam (40-7-1 28 KOs), takes on Martin Bakole (19-1 14 KOS) with unbeaten contender Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) going up against Agron Smakici (19-2 17 KOs).
Highly rated British southpaw Moses Itauma (5-0 3 KOs) will also be in a heavyweight fight against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
A jet-lagged Tyson Fury discusses his friendship with Joseph Parker ahead of the Kiwi's comeback.
Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker is set to fight in Saudi Arabia next month in one of the biggest boxing events of the year.
The former WBO heavyweight champion will appear on the undercard for Tyson Fury's novelty fight with ex-UFC heavyweight king Frances Ngannou.
Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), will return for his third bout of the year against largely unknown Canadian Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in Riyadh on October 28.
Parker, who trains in Morecambe, England, at Fury’s gym has often floated the idea of appearing on his close friend’s undercard, but his clash with Kean will be the first time it’s eventuated.
Parker will be a huge favourite in the fight that will be by far the biggest occasion of Kean’s professional career.
Joseph Parker will fight on close friend Tyson Fury’s undercard when the WBC champ takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Frances Ngannou.
The headline fight between Fury and Ngannou – where ‘The Gypsy King’s’ WBC belt won’t be on the line – has been described by many in the boxing world as a major event but not a contest, while UFC president Dana White labelled it “gimmicky”.
Many boxing fans are also disappointed Fury isn’t fighting WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO unified champion Oleksandr Usyk to see who rules the heavyweight division.
Undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford was asked earlier this year what chance Ngannou has of victory. To which he simply replied: “Zero”.
And he’s far from alone, but the cross-code boxing fight will draw the eyeballs of the combat sports world, providing the perfect platform for a rebuilding Parker.
He has put two notches back in the win column since his knockout loss to Joe Joyce last September.
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will square off in the boxing ring.
The first, an unconvincing unanimous decision victory against Enghisman Jack Massey (20-2) in January – who had come up from cruiserweight – and the latest, a first round knockout over Australian Faiga Opelu (15-4-2) back in May.
And Kean looks a prime candidate to be the third win on the trot for Parker. Height would seem Kean’s only advantage, with the 34-year-old Canadian being three years older than Parker, boasting less experience and having zero fights against champions like Parker has fought.
Kean, an orthodox boxer who lost in the quarter-finals at the 2012 Olympics, only has one loss on his record, which came against fellow Canadian Dillon Carman (now retired) back in 2018, but he’s also only fought outside of Canada once and doesn’t have a single elite-level opponent on his record.
His best win came in his last fight, against a long way past his best Eric Molina (29-8).
Joseph Parker’s last fight was a first round knockout against Faiga Opelu.
Like Parker, he also has stoppage victories over American journeymen Shawndell Terell Winters and Daniel Martz – who the Kiwi knocked out in the first round way back in 2015.
The Fury and Ngannou undercard is exclusively a heavyweight affair, highlighted by an exciting all-English clash between two undefeated boxers in David Adeleye (12-0 11 KOs) and Fabio Wardley (16-0 15 KOs).
Former Parker opponent, Carlos Takam (40-7-1 28 KOs), takes on Martin Bakole (19-1 14 KOS) with unbeaten contender Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) going up against Agron Smakici (19-2 17 KOs).
Highly rated British southpaw Moses Itauma (5-0 3 KOs) will also be in a heavyweight fight against a yet-to-be-named opponent.