By Ryan Burton
Newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (22-0) will have a different challenge when he steps in the ring against Hughie Fury (20-0) than he did when he defeated Andy Ruiz for the title in December.
Ruiz, who appears a little shorter than his listed 6'2" height, is one of the few opponents that have been shorter than the 6'4" Parker. Next up is Fury, his mandatory challenger, who stands 6'6" which is more inline with the division's top fighters. Their fight is scheduled for May 6th in Auckland, New Zealand which is Parker's backyard.
"Fury, I have watched a lot of his fights and he moves very well. He is very tall and elusive. For me it is great to fight these tall fighters because most of the top fighters in the heavyweight division are tall," Parker explained.
With IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former champion DavidHaye both being from the UK, Parker believes it is the perfect time to build his name in the country's red hot boxing market.
"I think it is a win win," Parker said about facing Fury. "It will help with exposure in the UK and the UK is where it is at right now with the heavyweight fighters. I think it is about time we fight someone from there and establish our name there."
As for his future plans, Parker believes that he will fight on US soil before the year is over. He recently signed a co-promotional deal with Bob Arums Top Rank to help with his fights in the States and China.
"He is probably the best in the business or one of the best in the business so I am very happy we signed with him. Hopefully by the end of the year we can fight here," Parker told BoxingScene.com.
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