Parker to face former sparring partner
AUCKLAND: Joseph Parker faces a new opponent and venue but a sense of familiarity will pervade when he defends his World Boxing Organisation heavyweight belt on May 6.
Duco Events has confirmed Romanian Razvan Cojanu as Parker’s challenger. The pair are previous sparring partners.
Cojanu replaces Brit Hughie Fury, who pulled out citing a lower back injury.
The fight will be shifted from the 12,000capacity Spark Arena, in downtown Auckland, to the 3000capacity Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau, where Parker has fought four times professionally.
Duco Events director David Higgins admitted to a stressful week sorting out the rejig.
‘‘He [Cojanu] must be hungry because the deal was done quick.
‘‘It could be the last time Joseph Parker fights in New Zealand. We haven’t had an avalanche of refunds because they [the patrons] are Joseph Parker fans. We’re grateful to them for bearing with us.’’
The 2.02m Cojanu meets the WBO criteria of being in its top 15 list for a mandatory challenge, ranked at 14. The 30yearold has a 16win, twoloss record.
‘‘I’d like to thank Hughie Fury for pulling out,’’ Cojanu said. ‘‘I’m not taking the fight for the money. I always said if I got a title shot [anywhere], I’d say ‘yes’.
‘‘I’ve come to prove I can knock Joseph Parker out. Their team is one of the most professional I have met, but I know him and his strategies from our training camps, where I’ve only ever gone at 50%, 60% or 70%.’’
‘‘Because we’ve sparred together, he’s more dangerous than Fury in some ways,’’ Parker responded. ‘‘I’m starting to wonder what he really fights like.’’
Parker’s trainer, Kevin Barry, confirmed the pair had gone 44 rounds in their last camp.
‘‘He was one of our least preferred options because he’d been in two camps over the last four years.
‘‘We run an open programme, so when fighters are not sparring they tend to be in the gym with us. Razvan knows more about
Joe than most other fighters.’’