Odyssey may go south to Dunedin

New Zealand’s government should take notice. The boxing fan travels. If Hughie Fury fought in New Zealand, you’d get 10,000 fans travelling to support him. Promoter David Higgins

Joseph Parker’s fighting odyssey could take him to London, Las Vegas, Auckland, or even Dunedin next.

He is likely to stay busy, win or lose. The close points victory over Mexican boxer Andy Ruiz Jr in Auckland last night makes him hot property and opens up several lucrative opportunities around the world, but also in New Zealand.

His promoter David Higgins, from Duco Events, will consult with his business partner Dean Lonergan tomorrow, and there are several options available should Parker win, including a defence of his WBO title against Hughie Fury, cousin of Tyson, who vacated the belt.

“After the fight we assess every option on a whiteboard,” Higgins told the Herald on Sunday.

“Option one might be ‘go to London and fight Hughie Fury’.

“Option two might be ‘ Tyson Fury wants his belt back and where do you put that, England or New Zealand?’

“Option three might be ‘ go to the United States with Bob Arum and do something there’. Option four would be to defend in New Zealand. The payper-view broadcast in England would be at 11am over there — perfect timing,” said Higgins.

If a title defence were to be held here, either local or central government — and possibly both — would have to chip in financially.

Despite the profile available to a global television audience, central government and Auckland Council were reluctant to do so this time. Samoa showed no such hesitation and handed over more than $NZ100,000 for the chance to showcase the best of the country.

Higgins said a partnership with a New Zealand city — perhaps Dunedin, where a fight could be held at Forsyth Barr Stadium — would reap benefits.

“I think New Zealand’s government should take notice. The boxing fan travels. If Hughie Fury fought in New Zealand, you’d get 10,000 fans travelling to support him and because it’s such a long way they’d stay in New Zealand for seven nights at least.

“They might spend $300 a day, so that’s $21 million of GDP. If you put that in front of, say Dunedin Council . . . it makes a hosting fee of a couple of million bucks look like good business — not wasted ratepayers’ money — but a good commercial return for the ratepayer.

“I like the idea of defending in New Zealand. It’s worked so far.

“We’ve proven that getting a world title shot isn’t voodoo.”