WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker will be hoping victory over Hughie Fury in London next month will help him land one of the biggest fights in the division over the next 12 months.
Parker has held his WBO crown since he beat Andy Ruiz to the vacant belt in December 2016. He was set to meet the cousin of former world Tyson Fury earlier this year, but his British opponent was forced to postpone the contest due to an injury. All in all, it has been a frustrating six months for the first New Zealander to win a heavyweight world title.
Parker will have one eye on returning to the UK if he gets past Fury for a unification contest with Anthony Joshua. The British boxer has declared his interest in becoming the unified heavyweight world champion, and in order to do that, he will have to win Parker’s belt first.
A trip to the United States could also be an option for Parker, to face WBC champion Deontay Wilder. The Bronze Bomber is unbeaten in 38 fights, of which 37 of those victories have been by stoppage. The American has held his world title since January 2015 when he beat Bernane Stiverne. The winner of Wilder and Parker could then face Joshua in 2018 for a winner-takes-all contest for all four major belts in the heavyweight division.
Fury Looking to Cousin Tyson for Inspiration?
Fury has the benefit of turning towards his cousin Tyson ahead of the biggest night of his career in September. Tyson was the underdog himself when he challenged for a world title for the first time in Germany against Wladimir Klitschko. Although the odds were against him, Tyson surprised the world with a fantastic performance against one of the all-time greats of the division.
of action for the majority of that time. His last appearance in the ring in a competitive fight was back in April 2016 when he beat Fred Kassi to claim the WBO Inter-Continental title and put himself in contention for a shot against Parker.
Fury remains unbeaten as a professional, where he has had 20 fights since he made his debut in 2013. He represented England as an amateur at the 2012 Youth World Championships in the super-heavyweight division where he won gold. The younger of the two Fury cousins is trained by his father Peter, who helped mastermind Tyson’s win over Klitschko in 2015.
Parker and Fury are set to meet on September 16 in London, where the US broadcast rights have yet to be revealed.