11-08-2015, 10:39 AM
New Zealand boxer Joseph Parker has to say no to dream fight night in Las Vegas
Not even an unexpected Las Vegas opportunity will see Joseph Parker deviate from the pathway designed to get him to the top of the heavyweight boxing ranks.
Joseph Parker has had to turn down a fight on one of boxing's biggest nights of the year in Las Vegas because of a scheduling clash.
Parker's camp were sounded out on their last-minute availability for an undercard appearance on the November 21 world middleweight clash between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez.
The fight is seen as second only to June's record-breaking fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in terms of public interest for the year.
Parker's rising profile and Las Vegas locale where he is training made him an attractive option to the promoters looking to fill an unexpected gap on their card.
American promoter Dino Duva, who is involved with Roc Nation, which backs Cotto, sounded out Duco Events, the management company behind the New Zealand heavyweight.
But with the December 5 Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton already confirmed as Parker's next fight, they weren't prepared to risk their man in Vegas, despite the massive opportunity.
"We'd love to be on that card and the exposure that it would bring," Duco boss Dean Lonergan said. "There are going to be millions watching around the world,
"It was flattering to get the email. But at the end of the day, we book ourselves months and months in advance and we are working to a plan and we won't deviate from it at short notice. We need to be patient and sensible."
Parker, 23, has also had to decline a chance to train and spar with British contender Tyson Fury ahead of his world title clash with Wladimir Klitschko because of travel and time concerns with attending Tyson's Ireland workouts.
His handlers are more concerned with the long-term goal of Parker. And mapping a path to a possible world title shot became clearer after Lonergan attended the WBO conference in Orlando, Florida last week.
Delighted to see Duco pick up Oriental regional awards for Parker (heavyweight), Jeff Horne (welterweight), Stu Duncan (matchmaker) and their own company as promoter of the year, Lonergan said the greater pleasure came in the knowledge he gained in the politics and networking of the sport.
That included a half-hour audience with WBO president Paco Valcárcel, who was fully aware of Parker's talent and had suggested a schedule that would, if he proved successful, get the youngster into being the No 1 mandatory challenger to Klitschko.
"That's our ultimate goal. Getting the mandatory means you are guaranteed to fight the champion and I've come away from that conference very excited because the pathway for us to get Joe right to the top is a lot clearer."
Lonergan said Parker's trainer Kevin Barry was comfortable with that path and "it will work for us promotionally if we can mange to pull of what is being suggested".
Parker's opponent for Fight For Life will be named on Tuesday along with the fighter he will meet in Samoa in January. Duco plan further fights for him in New Zealand in April and June, though there could be a twist to those, as they eye the American market.
Lonergan headed to New York after his Florida mission and met with TV networks there.
"They are very positive on Joe. We're close to getting him on TV in the US on a more regular basis. We're looking at going in there on a primetime schedule which would mean potentially fighting on Sunday afternoons in New Zealand because it would be primetime for American east coast audience."
Lonergan is now in Europe, looking to nail network deals in France and firm up a Polish TV deal that would allow Parker's impressive heavyweight stablemate Izu Ogonoh to headline fights in his native Poland.
- Stuff
Not even an unexpected Las Vegas opportunity will see Joseph Parker deviate from the pathway designed to get him to the top of the heavyweight boxing ranks.
Joseph Parker has had to turn down a fight on one of boxing's biggest nights of the year in Las Vegas because of a scheduling clash.
Parker's camp were sounded out on their last-minute availability for an undercard appearance on the November 21 world middleweight clash between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez.
The fight is seen as second only to June's record-breaking fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in terms of public interest for the year.
Parker's rising profile and Las Vegas locale where he is training made him an attractive option to the promoters looking to fill an unexpected gap on their card.
American promoter Dino Duva, who is involved with Roc Nation, which backs Cotto, sounded out Duco Events, the management company behind the New Zealand heavyweight.
But with the December 5 Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton already confirmed as Parker's next fight, they weren't prepared to risk their man in Vegas, despite the massive opportunity.
"We'd love to be on that card and the exposure that it would bring," Duco boss Dean Lonergan said. "There are going to be millions watching around the world,
"It was flattering to get the email. But at the end of the day, we book ourselves months and months in advance and we are working to a plan and we won't deviate from it at short notice. We need to be patient and sensible."
Parker, 23, has also had to decline a chance to train and spar with British contender Tyson Fury ahead of his world title clash with Wladimir Klitschko because of travel and time concerns with attending Tyson's Ireland workouts.
His handlers are more concerned with the long-term goal of Parker. And mapping a path to a possible world title shot became clearer after Lonergan attended the WBO conference in Orlando, Florida last week.
Delighted to see Duco pick up Oriental regional awards for Parker (heavyweight), Jeff Horne (welterweight), Stu Duncan (matchmaker) and their own company as promoter of the year, Lonergan said the greater pleasure came in the knowledge he gained in the politics and networking of the sport.
That included a half-hour audience with WBO president Paco Valcárcel, who was fully aware of Parker's talent and had suggested a schedule that would, if he proved successful, get the youngster into being the No 1 mandatory challenger to Klitschko.
"That's our ultimate goal. Getting the mandatory means you are guaranteed to fight the champion and I've come away from that conference very excited because the pathway for us to get Joe right to the top is a lot clearer."
Lonergan said Parker's trainer Kevin Barry was comfortable with that path and "it will work for us promotionally if we can mange to pull of what is being suggested".
Parker's opponent for Fight For Life will be named on Tuesday along with the fighter he will meet in Samoa in January. Duco plan further fights for him in New Zealand in April and June, though there could be a twist to those, as they eye the American market.
Lonergan headed to New York after his Florida mission and met with TV networks there.
"They are very positive on Joe. We're close to getting him on TV in the US on a more regular basis. We're looking at going in there on a primetime schedule which would mean potentially fighting on Sunday afternoons in New Zealand because it would be primetime for American east coast audience."
Lonergan is now in Europe, looking to nail network deals in France and firm up a Polish TV deal that would allow Parker's impressive heavyweight stablemate Izu Ogonoh to headline fights in his native Poland.
- Stuff