Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker 25-2 (19) is willing to face lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 27-0-1 (19).
Fury was expected to face WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder 40-0-1 (39) in an immediate rematch until signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank and US-based broadcaster ESPN last week. Yesterday the WBC announced Team Fury had withdrawn from negotiations for the Wilder fight.
Fury, who is expected to take an interim fight in the summer before pursuing the Wilder rematch later in the year, has been linked with New Zealander Parker.
“Joseph would fight Tyson Fury next if the terms were right,” Parker’s promoter David Higgins said to the New Zealand Herald.
“Some would say that would be the wrong fight for Joe next as Fury is a very tricky opponent. We kind of agree. Joe and I regard Tyson Fury as probably the best heavyweight in the world… we think he’s better than Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.”
Higgins believes Parker’s victory over Fury’s cousin Hughie Fury in 2017 would create a strong storyline for the fight and says the fight would sell very well in the Australasian market.
“If the likes of Bob Arum ran it in Vegas it would make big money in the United States but also in the UK because of the background – Joe beat Tyson Fury’s cousin Hughie so at the moment it’s Parker 1, Fury 0,” Higgins continued.
“There would be massive interest in New Zealand and probably Australia. It would be the biggest global event we’ve done to date.”
Parker, 27, got back in the winner’s column with a third round knockout of American Alexander Flores in December after back-to-back losses to unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and leading heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte in the UK last year.
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