Parker takes WBO belt to Samoa
Joseph Parker is returning to Samoa next week as his promoters explore the possibility of staging a potential WBO title defence there.
Parker looks set to square off against Hughie Fury after the Englishman’s promoter Frank Warren, a respected figure in the fight game, said he wants to ‘‘get the deal done’’.
But first the Kiwi champion will enjoy a week with family to celebrate his historic achievement, after the majority decision win over Andy Ruiz, by visiting his second home.
The 24-year-old leaves for Samoa tomorrow. The intention of the trip is to thank the local people and government for on-going support after it stumped up close to $140,000 for his title win.
A public parade is expected to be held in Apia.
Parker and promoter David Higgins will also meet with the Samoan Prime Minister to seek feedback and discuss potential further investment. Ultimately, that could lead to Parker staging a title defence there.
‘‘Joseph is of Samoan decent. He loves the place and goes back most years, if not all. He just won the WBO heavyweight championship of the world and the tourist destination sponsor was Samoa so it’s only more appropriate he should go there to thank the people and have a bit of time off,’’ Higgins said.
‘‘Options are still open and on the table for the next fight. Frank Warren was commenting in English press. He said he thinks Hughie is the mandatory. That’s not confirmed yet. He’s also saying he wants Joseph to go to England.
‘‘If it does turn out we go the Hughie Fury direction we’re not keen to go to England. We’d rather do it in this part of the world.
‘‘As part of that we’ll be talking to potential sponsors so I might talk to the Samoan government again about possible support.’’
Holding a second Parker fight in Samoa - after his victory over Jason Bergman in January - is realistic. The time zone is such that pay per view could be screened to New Zealand and the UK at a friendly hour.
WBO rules state the mandatory defence must be held within 120 days of Parker’s win over Ruiz. The only way he can avoid that is to get a unification fight, with WBC champion Deontay Wilder the available option. Wilder has also been courting Fury and wants a February fight as his comeback from injury gathers momentum.
But it seems Fury, an unbeaten and large-framed 22-year-old, now clearly seems to be preferring to fight Parker, who improved to 22-0.
‘‘David Haye was initially in pole position, but he now has a March date in his diary, so it goes to the next available contender and that is Hughie,’’
‘‘I know Hughie was watching events in Auckland closely and wants the fight. He is right up for it so we will do our best and get it done for him.
‘‘We will enter into negotiations with the objective of bringing the fight over here. The worst case scenario is that it goes to purse bids and if it does, so be it.
‘‘Bringing the fight to the UK market makes sense for both parties and it would be the perfect opportunity for Hughie to really put his stamp on the division and show the public what he is all about.
‘‘He is a superbly talented individual who is so well drilled and schooled by his father Peter. All the tough and tricky learning fights he has been put through from such an early age will really serve him well now.’’
Warren wasn’t particularly complimentary about Parker’s tight win over Ruiz.
‘‘It was a decent enough fight, without exactly having us on the edge of our armchairs and, in all honesty, I was expecting a little bit better from two young, unbeaten contenders,’’ he wrote.
‘‘There was hardly anything in it, with neither of them particularly forcing the issue, but the right man probably got the nod in the end.
‘‘It certainly wasn’t one of those fights that left you craving a rematch and it is probably a good job because that is not an option.’’