Promoter’s verbal brawl
Security escort Higgins out of press conference after opposing camps face off in ugly pre-fight war of words
Chaos struck New Zealand boxing heavyweight Joseph Parker’s press conference with Hughie Fury yesterday, with promoter David Higgins escorted out by security and Fury’s father and trainer, Peter, responding with a four-letter tirade.
The joint press conference between the pair, who square off for the WBO world title in Manchester on Sunday (NZT), started normally enough at the luxury Marylebone Hotel in central London, but without Higgins, who was supposed to be at the top table.
About five minutes in, Higgins arrived with Frans Botha, a former heavyweight champion and one of Parker’s prized scalps from 2013. Botha, a South African who went by the nickname White Buffalo, is in London with Duco on a promotional tour.
Higgins, angered by the decision to appoint British referee Terry O’Connor for the fight at the Manchester Arena, approached Hughie and Peter Fury and the fight promoter Mick Hennessy and made an allegation which Peter responded to by saying: “All you’ve been doing is squealing. Squealing like a pig.”
Peter Fury added: “You’re rattled. Who gives a f*** about you anyway?”
Higgins, on his way out of the room due to the efforts of a towering bouncer, said: “You shook my hand. Neutral refs.”
Hennessy, who said he had nothing to do with the appointment of the referee, later questioned whether Higgins had been drinking.
Peter Fury said: “I do apologise for my language but it’s not nice to hear your promoter Mick Hennessy saying Higgins has threatened to pull out of the fight, saying ‘ you’ve breached’ and he wants to run away with the money.
“You hear all this rubbish talk and he comes in here and says ‘ what about the referee?’
He said he would be happy for Parker to check and approve the gloves, ring and dressing room.
“That’s what I can do for fair play. I want my son to win a world title with no hidden agendas. Now, Higgins is basically saying because of the referee it’s not fair. He’s insinuating I’ve got the [British] Boxing Board of Control, one of the most respected officiating groups in world boxing, in my pocket, [ that] they’re bent. I’ve got no interest in a referee, a judge or anything else.
“All this stupid, silly nonsense . . . I’m not interested in all that crap.”
Parker said when asked about the incident: “It made it very interesting, I’m not really sure what that was about.”
Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry said: “Look, I can understand David Higgins’ frustration. He’s our promoter and responsible for the contract we have in place and I know there are some things in that contract ... like neutral officials.
“Let me say to Peter, please don’t worry about David running off with the money because we’re going nowhere. This is an op- portunity. We’ve waited a long time, and not just for Hughie, because this fight has been backwards and forwards for six months, but we’ve waited a long time to campaign in the UK. The timing for us is perfect right now.”
The fighting talk, thankfully, wasn’t confined to promoters and trainers, with both boxers saying they were confident of a knockout victory.
Fury said: “I’m going to knock him out. I’ve trained for it, I’ve had super sparring. I think I’m going to knock him out.”
Parker replied: “Same here, I’m not sure what round I’ll do it — somewhere between one and 12, and then we’re going to get up and be gentlemen and friends.”