Having been given a deadline by the WBO, unbeaten Hughie Fury today signed on the dotted line to challenge unbeaten WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker. Fury’s promoter Frank Warren announced how Hughie, cousin of former and still undefeated world champion Tyson Fury, signed today:
“Contract is now signed for @hughiefury to face @joeboxerparker for the @WorldBoxingOrg World Heavyweight Championship! #andthenew,” Warren wrote on twitter.
An official announcement is expected soon but the fight is likely to take place on April 1st in New Zealand, but this is still to be confirmed.
A good, interesting fight between two young and unbeaten heavyweights with skill and talent, Parker-Fury is a match-up that could go either way. Fury will of course be taking a big step up in class and having to travel so far may or may not affect the 22 year-old. Also, there has been some suggestion that Hughie’s father and trainer Peter Fury may not be able to obtain a visa to travel to New Zealand. How would it affect the title challenger if he were without his life-long trainer and corner-man?
Parker is still a somewhat unproven quantity in the opinion of some. A close decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. saw the 24 year-old win the belt but this fight appeared close enough to have gone either way. Can Fury, who will enjoy a height and reach advantage over the defending champ, outbox Parker? Will this fight go the distance?
If Fury can pull it off he will add significantly to the already world famous Fury name. And waiting in the wings for the winner of the Parker-Fury fight is reigning WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder. Wilder has stated how he feels Parker will beat Fury, but whoever wins in April, the prospect of going in with Wilder in a big unification showdown will add further motivation.
The heavyweight division is buzzing once again and with big fights like Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko and the promise of Wilder taking the big, big fights in the coming months, this year could turn out to be a great one.
If Fury can take the WBO title from Parker he will become just the fifth British boxer to have held that organisation’s title at the weight.