Joseph Parker

[diehard]

It is horrible. Lots of UK fighters no one outside of the UK has heard of.

[diehard]

Resurgent Bryant Jennings hunting Joseph Parker with Bob Arum's help

Title contender Bryant Jennings has his career back on track and is now hunting down Joseph Parker with some heavyweight support.

American Jennings ended a 20-month layoff with a two round demolition of Daniel Martz in Nebraska and immediately talked up his increasing hopes to fight Kiwi Parker for the WBO world heavyweight title.

"It felt good, but this is just the beginning," Jennings said of his win on Sunday (NZ time).

American heavyweight Bryant Jennings is eager to get a shot against New Zealand's WBO world champion Joseph Parker.

"I'll be working my way towards that fight with Parker. Parker is a champion. He has a belt right now and those are the things you are after as a fighter. Having a belt is one of my goals."

Jennings, 32, has been taken on by Top Rank whose owner Bob Arum co-promoting Parker.

Arums believes a showdown between the two can be worked out next year if they continue on their winning ways.

Parker defends his belt for the second time next month in Britain against mandatory challenger Hughie Fury.

Parker is eager to make his name in the UK but there will also be a desire to headline a major promotion in the United States.

The influential Arum is confident he can make that happen and says he has already sounded out Parker's Kiwi promoters at Duco Events.

"I've talked to David Higgins from Duco and he loves the idea and he would be amenable to a Parker fight with Jennings in the United States," Arum told ESPN Boxing.

Jennings was unbeaten over 19 fights before he lost a unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2015 when the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO world titles were on the line.

Jennings was knocked out in the seventh round by big-hitting Cuban Luis Ortiz eight months later and stepped aside until he decided to resurrect his career this year. The win over Martz is seen as a launching pad.

John David Jackson, who was in his second fight as Jennings' trainer but worked him throughout the layoff, liked what he saw in the return.

"He has all the talent in the world," Jackson said. "Two more fights then go for a title. My job is to get him ready for Parker."

Jennings and Parker share a common victim in Martz. Parker knocked out the lanky American in the first round of their 2015 fight in Hamilton.

- Stuff

[Nablonicasso]

(08-20-2017, 04:16 PM)diehard Wrote: It is horrible.  Lots of UK fighters no one outside of the UK has heard of.

Yeah I mean could they not get Brown butterbean or maybe a couple of rugby players to slug it out? ?

[craigyid14]

(08-21-2017, 03:28 PM)Nablonicasso Wrote:

(08-20-2017, 04:16 PM)diehard Wrote: It is horrible.  Lots of UK fighters no one outside of the UK has heard of.

Yeah I mean could they not get Brown butterbean or maybe a couple of rugby players to slug it out? ?

Haha, I for one certainly dont miss Duco and the clown......

[Infern0]

That undercard is pretty bad, we just have to hope that there will be entertainment value to the fights even if we dont know the names.

Its odd because i thought they would put at least one ticket seller on the card, but it looks like all the money went on the main event.

[diehard]

I wonder if they are looking to get the UK punters at the gate rather than make it an international PPV?

[justafan]

Is Parker a big enough ticket in NZ to get all the Kiwi ex-pats along?
There is nothing like throwing the All Blacks or Kiwis jersey on and heading along to cheer on a Kiwi team when you are living overseas. Always guarantee you will meet some other Kiwis and end up having a massive night reminiscing about marmite, Speights, Bluebird potato chips and pineapple lumps.
Guess I'm too old to know anyone on their OE these days but I haven't heard anything from ex-pats in the UK that they are fired up for the Parker fight.
Think there are a couple of Kiwis living in the UK on nzboxchat so what do you guys reckon? Will Parker have much Kiwi support?

[diehard]

Oh, I think there could be up to a hundred Kiwi's there for Joe. Not enough to fill up the arena...

[justafan]

Kiwis are everywhere over there. I was thinking anything less than 3000 of them would be a disappointment. Probably Parker's most interesting fight and if he loses it might be his last in the UK for a while

[diehard]

Yeah, but how many of them are boxing fans? Parker fans? Can afford the gate price? Live in Manchester or close by? Unwilling to travel too far? But I hope you're right! If they go, given the ticket sales, they should get great seats! I'm thinking of going if he ever fight AJ. Maybe hit up Mr Higgins for some comps????? Ring side?????