Rope-a-joke in Manukau as boxing gives itself uppercut
have trouble organising fights, but sure knows how to organise a flight in a crisis, even if Camp Fury seemed unsure how to check in. The Romanian hit Auckland with remarkable speed, wandering through the arrival hall with heavyweight boxing's remnants of credibility having already taken flight.
Parker's Auckland farewell has turned into rope-a-joke, unfortunately, including a venue downsizing. It certainly pales next to this weekend's Klitschko-Joshua contest. A 3000-seat arena in Manukau for Parker's defence is no Wembley.
Duco Events isn't to blame for the state of heavyweight boxing, and their cast of interesting characters deserves respect for what they have brought to our sporting scene, particularly the handling of Parker's career and development as a boxer.
Trainer Kevin Barry, guided by many experiences good and bad, has given Project Parker his all, primarily in Las Vegas.
To talk to Barry is to feel a force of nature and he appears on red alert even on a day off, with absolute dedication to Parker's boxing and welfare. Duco Events, meanwhile, puts ideas into action, money on the line, and deserves any reward it gets.
Duco boxing boss David Higgins' staccato delivered a brilliant line or two after Fury pulled out, predicting a back injury excuse would be used to explain what was really a “moral compass” issue, although Camp Fury protested loudly.
Deontay Wilder, the WBC champion who has done everything in his considerable verbal power to tempt Parker into an immediate fight, has talked the most sense, however.
In an entertaining radio burst, he essentially stated that the only heavyweight fights which count for now are between the various champions, that unification is the only thing which matters. Kiwi pride in Parker's rise can't deny that.
Wilder called on promoters and managers to stop being afraid, to stop manipulating the heavyweight scene, to put on real fights — for which Klitschko versus Joshua clearly counts, while Parker versus the tall Romanian doesn't.
On a world scale, I respectfully doubt Parker will end up being much more than a dot in history, fantastic athlete though he is. But many of us are hoping he does indeed clamber to the top of this dishevelled heap, even if he is unlikely to stay there long.
I hope Parker takes up Wilder's offer sooner rather than later. Wilder sounds like a man who will turn up anywhere with guns blazing, and give us entertainment along the way.