By Keith Idec
Hughie Fury told Sky Sports for a story posted Saturday that the unbeaten British contender’s team is in negotiations for a shot at newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
“We’re in negotiations with it at the minute,” Fury told Sky Sports. “I am mandatory, so it will be happening either way. I’m in the No. 1 position, I’m mandatory, and I will be fighting for that title.”
Fury is rated No. 2 by the WBO, but No. 1 contender David Haye (28-2, 26 KOs) is unavailable because he is scheduled to box fellow Brit Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) on March 4 at O2 Arena in London.
Bob Arum, Parker’s co-promoter, told BoxingScene.com earlier this month that Parker’s first title defense will take place in the United States. Parker, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, resides and trains in Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Fury (20-0, 10 KOs) would prefer fighting Parker in England, yet the Manchester resident understands he’ll likely have to travel away from home for his title shot.
“It would be nice to have it home in England, where the home crowd is, instead of traveling away, but it really doesn’t matter to me,” Fury said. “I have never fought in my hometown before. It would be nice to fight for a world title there. It would be something spectacular.”
Parker (22-0, 18 KOs) beat American Andy Ruiz (29-1, 19 KOs) by majority decision to win the then-unclaimed WBO championship December 10 in Auckland. Fury, a cousin of former heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, thinks Ruiz deserved to be scored the winner over Parker, who won by scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 114-114 in a mostly tactical encounter.
“He struggled against Ruiz,” Fury said. “I did have Ruiz winning that fight, to be honest with you, by a few rounds. The reason why Ruiz never got the fight is because, one, from being in [Parker’s] hometown, and two, he never pushed the issue.
“He just calmed down in the later rounds, never had the work rate or fitness to keep it up. I still had Ruiz winning it, but Joseph Parker came out on top in the end. Congratulations to him, but he won’t be keeping that title for long.”
That doesn’t mean the 22-year-old Fury figures topping Parker, 24, will be an easy task.
“Joseph Parker is no mug,” Fury said. “He’s had a few tough fights and he’s made hard work of them, but you cannot really take anything from them. I do rate Joseph Parker. He’s a good, talented heavyweight, but I believe I’ve got the tools to beat him. I believe I’m his worst nightmare.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
