It has just been announced on social media by WBO president Paco Valcarcel how Duco Events, who are the promotional outfit behind reigning WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker, won the purse bid for the Parker-Hughie Fury fight.
The clash of young unbeaten heavyweights will now go ahead on April 1st in Auckland in New Zealand.
“@Duco Events wins purse bid @joeboxerparker vs. @hughiefury with $3,000,011, bout to take place on April 1st in Auckland, NZ, 60/40 purse split,” Valcarcel tweeted moments ago today.
So 22-year-old Fury, 20-0(10) will take the biggest fight of his career thus far miles away from home. It could be a daunting task, even if Fury and his trainer/father Peter make a very confident team. Fury has boxed away from home before, winning fights in Canada, Monaco and in the US, but this is the big one. Also being a possible problem for Fury is the fact that he will have been out of action for almost a full year by April 1, having last boxed in April of 2016 when he defeated Fred Kassi in a disappointingly dull fight.
Parker, three years the older man at age 25 and currently 22-0(18), has met the better quality of opposition, including Carlos Takam and, in winning the belt in December, Andy Ruiz Junior. Parker will also be having yet another fight at home.
Can Fury match his cousin Tyson Fury’s big away title fight win, or will Parker come through in his maiden defence? Parker has to be looked at as the favourite, but he is perhaps only a slight favourite. Fury has a lot of people believing he just might be the next big thing in the heavyweight division. A distance fight looks a good bet in this, an interesting fight that will be here in no time at all.
With just eight weeks to go, both young heavyweights will have to start their respective training camps almost immediately. It will be interesting to see who the two men spar as they get ready for one another.