WBO Have Confirmed Joseph Parker Title Fight

Publish Date
Friday, 21 October 2016, 11:11AM
Getty Images

Getty Images

Joseph Parker will fight for a heavyweight boxing title after the World Boxing Organisation just ordered the New Zealander to fight Andy Ruiz Jnr.

Ruiz's promoter Bob Arum has confirmed the Mexican American will fight Parker for the vacant WBO heavyweight title belt on December the 10th in Auckland.

ESPN's senior boxing writer Dan Rafael first reported that the WBO agreed that Parker and Ruiz Jnr will fight for the title left vacant by Tyson Fury.

The WBO are currently holding a five-day convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico to discuss how to decide on a title fight.

Arum told ESPN the deal he made with Duco's Dean Lonergan, promoter of Parker, was contingent on the WBO confirming the title fight, as both camps were unsure if it would be sanctioned when they met earlier this week.

"We have worked a deal out with Parker's people and Andy signed the contract earlier this week, but it was all subject to the sanction," Arum told ESPN.com.

"We got the sanction and it's a done deal. I met with Dean on Monday. He was in California before he went on to the Puerto Rico for the convention.

"My (matchmakers) think Andy has a hell of a shot. The kid is pumped because apparently he's sparred with Parker and more than held his own. I've seen some of Parker's fights on YouTube clips. He's a tremendous puncher but he doesn't look to me to be particularly fast and Andy is a very fast heavyweight."

 

- NZ Herald

 

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