01-27-2017, 04:27 PM
Joseph Parker cuts short holiday to prepare for Hughie Fury
Frustrated at the uncertainty surrounding the details of his first WBO title defence, Joseph Parker has cut short his holiday and will return to training in Las Vegas this weekend.
The Kiwi heavyweight champion originally planned to enjoy the best part of two months off in New Zealand, following his victory over Andy Ruiz in December.
But with a date and venue set to be determined by a purse bid in Puerto Rico next week, Parker has shaved over two weeks off his break and will instead start preparing for unbeaten Brit Hughie Fury.
The change of plans will see Parker miss the Halberg Awards, where he is nominated alongside Mahe Drysdale, Nick Willis and Tom Walsh for sportsman of the year, and the NRL Auckland Nines where he was due to be waterboy for the Warriors.
Parker estimates he has put on five or six kilograms while savouring time with friends and family over summer.
The time has come to put the gloves back on; begin scouting footage of Fury and refocus for a big 2017 campaign.
"Even though there's no date or venue I need to get back to training and start focusing on the next fight. I've had a good break - it was going to be a little bit longer but I feel like I need to get back to the gym... and lose some weight."
The 25-year-old is disappointed negotiations between his promoters Duco Events and Fury's manager Frank Warren have failed to lock in an agreement. Duco will continue dialogue with Warren but the purse bid scenario is a delicate balancing act that could yet see the fight held anywhere from Manchester to Auckland.
"Duco Events and the promoters overseas should come up with a plan before it gets to purse bid. It's important to have it all locked in soon," Parker said. "Both boxers wanted more money so it's just about if we can get the right deal.
"He's never headlined a card or fought on pay-per-view. It's a world title so he thinks he deserves a lot more money than I think he does.
"Home advantage would be more important [than money]."
Duco promoter David Higgins is building budgets and revenue projections to prepare for the purse bid. It is understood Fury wants more than $600,000 for his first title shot. As the mandatory challenger, Fury cannot be ducked and therefore holds bargaining power.
Parker is understood to have pocketed well in excess of $1 million for the Ruiz fight, and the WBO has set the minimum purse bid for Parker-Fury at $1.38m.
"The money Fury is looking for is substantially more than Ruiz Junior but I think he is probably within his rights," Higgins said. "Ruiz didn't have a big fan base in America and the heavyweights have been off the scene a bit. In the UK market British fans go to everything. Fury would generate more revenue in the UK than Ruiz would in America so they've set their price and we're negotiating on it.
"There's a reasonable chance we can make it happen here if commonsense prevails."
Parker wants the fight to be held in New Zealand, both for home advantage and to give Kiwis the chance to attend another title challenge. But having fought twice in America, once each in Germany and Samoa, he has no concerns about potentially being forced to face Fury in his Manchester backyard, believing it will help prepare him for the likes of IBF champion Anthony Joshua.
"This could be the perfect lead up into those bigger fights. Wherever it happens I'll be comfortable."
- Stuff
Frustrated at the uncertainty surrounding the details of his first WBO title defence, Joseph Parker has cut short his holiday and will return to training in Las Vegas this weekend.
The Kiwi heavyweight champion originally planned to enjoy the best part of two months off in New Zealand, following his victory over Andy Ruiz in December.
But with a date and venue set to be determined by a purse bid in Puerto Rico next week, Parker has shaved over two weeks off his break and will instead start preparing for unbeaten Brit Hughie Fury.
The change of plans will see Parker miss the Halberg Awards, where he is nominated alongside Mahe Drysdale, Nick Willis and Tom Walsh for sportsman of the year, and the NRL Auckland Nines where he was due to be waterboy for the Warriors.
Parker estimates he has put on five or six kilograms while savouring time with friends and family over summer.
The time has come to put the gloves back on; begin scouting footage of Fury and refocus for a big 2017 campaign.
"Even though there's no date or venue I need to get back to training and start focusing on the next fight. I've had a good break - it was going to be a little bit longer but I feel like I need to get back to the gym... and lose some weight."
The 25-year-old is disappointed negotiations between his promoters Duco Events and Fury's manager Frank Warren have failed to lock in an agreement. Duco will continue dialogue with Warren but the purse bid scenario is a delicate balancing act that could yet see the fight held anywhere from Manchester to Auckland.
"Duco Events and the promoters overseas should come up with a plan before it gets to purse bid. It's important to have it all locked in soon," Parker said. "Both boxers wanted more money so it's just about if we can get the right deal.
"He's never headlined a card or fought on pay-per-view. It's a world title so he thinks he deserves a lot more money than I think he does.
"Home advantage would be more important [than money]."
Duco promoter David Higgins is building budgets and revenue projections to prepare for the purse bid. It is understood Fury wants more than $600,000 for his first title shot. As the mandatory challenger, Fury cannot be ducked and therefore holds bargaining power.
Parker is understood to have pocketed well in excess of $1 million for the Ruiz fight, and the WBO has set the minimum purse bid for Parker-Fury at $1.38m.
"The money Fury is looking for is substantially more than Ruiz Junior but I think he is probably within his rights," Higgins said. "Ruiz didn't have a big fan base in America and the heavyweights have been off the scene a bit. In the UK market British fans go to everything. Fury would generate more revenue in the UK than Ruiz would in America so they've set their price and we're negotiating on it.
"There's a reasonable chance we can make it happen here if commonsense prevails."
Parker wants the fight to be held in New Zealand, both for home advantage and to give Kiwis the chance to attend another title challenge. But having fought twice in America, once each in Germany and Samoa, he has no concerns about potentially being forced to face Fury in his Manchester backyard, believing it will help prepare him for the likes of IBF champion Anthony Joshua.
"This could be the perfect lead up into those bigger fights. Wherever it happens I'll be comfortable."
- Stuff