Gloves come off at Duco Events
Joseph Parker is remaining tightlipped as New Zealand’s boxing star becomes caught in the middle of a messy split at Duco Events, with high-profile owners David Higgins and Dean Lonergan set to part ways.
The Press understands lawyers have been engaged, and emails are flying, as the five-year partnership between the co-owners has become irreparable.
Parker said he was aware of the looming split but did not want to comment when contacted by The Press. He faces some tough decisions, with his family understood to be keen to resolve the matter this week.
The loyalty of Parker, the WBO world heavyweight champion and the jewel in the crown of Duco’s busy sporting empire, will be tested by the standoff between his bosses.
On one side of the equation is Lonergan, who has been based in Australia building Manny Pacquiao’s WBO world welterweight tile defence against Duco’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July. On the other side is Higgins, who has been focused on guiding Parker’s blossoming career this year.
Both Lonergan and Higgins were contacted yesterday but refused to comment.
Parker’s parents and other close advisers are believed to be concerned about recent decisionmaking and external issues and are understood to be leaning toward a move away from Higgins.
The latest issue centred around multiple downgrades in Parker’s purse for his underwhelming first title defence against stand-in opponent Razvan Cojanu on Saturday night.
Parker originally stood to earn $2.4 million for a mandatory challenge against Hughie Fury but it is understood the fallout from the big Brit’s 11th hour withdrawal ended up hitting Duco and Parker in the pocket hard.
But Parker has a strong personal bond with Higgins that goes well beyond fighter-promoter relationship. Over the course of Parker’s 19-fight tenure with Duco since 2012 the pair have formed a genuine friendship – enjoying each other’s company outside the fight scene.
It is not uncommon for Higgins and Lonergan to have disagreements but they have managed to work through them. This time it seems there is no going back.
Higgins and Lonergan have operated on either side of the Tasman under a restructure this year following the surprise departure of chief executive Martin Snedden in December.
Higgins has handled Parker’s affairs while Lonergan has been consumed by the money-spinning Pacquiao-Horn promotion that has already sold more than 30,000 tickets. In the process Lonergan is thought to have formed a strong relationship with world leading promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who looks after Pacquiao and has a copromoting agreement with Duco.
Higgins oversaw Duco’s ambitious Brisbane Global 10s rugby preseason tournament, which debuted in February but it is understood to have taken a significant financial hit.
The Fury fiasco, along with other personal tensions between Higgins and Lonergan, are believed to have further complicated the situation.
With Parker adamant he needed a fight after his five-month break from the ring, Duco ploughed ahead with the rushed Cojanu promotion on two weeks’ notice.
Pay-per-view buys were around 14,000, compared with the 70,000 for Parker’s title win over Andy Ruiz Jnr last December. The latest figures are unlikely to be enough to cover the fighters’ purses, coming on top of significant loss of sponsorship after the late venue switch to the 3000-seat Manukau Events Centre.
Lonergan was a glaring absentee from Parker’s flat points win over Cojanu.
It’s not just Parker caught up in the potential division of Duco’s assets. As well as the 10s rugby tournament, the company also runs the NRL Auckland Nines and has also hosted world-class corporate events featuring the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Bill Clinton.
After a waning of interest this year, the NRL Nines have been touted for a move to Australia in 2018.