Heavyweight Joseph Parker signs with BOXXER

New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker indications deal with Sky Sports activities, placing proposed fight with Joe Joyce in question

IT wasn’t all that extended back we were being remaining explained to New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker would be returning to Uk soil in order to battle fellow jovial giant Joe Joyce at some level this summer, reside on BT Sport.

Now, even though, with that fight seemingly on the backburner, what we have as a substitute is information of Parker signing a extensive-phrase deal with BOXXER/Sky Sporting activities, a direct rival of BT Sport. What this signifies for Joyce vs. Parker is anyone’s guess but all that matters, as significantly as BOXXER and Sky Sports are concerned, is that Parker has a new household and will presumably be appearing additional generally in Fantastic Britain likely forward.  

“In signing with Ben Shalom and BOXXER I’m excited for the up coming phase of my occupation, the place I will grow to be a two-time earth winner on Sky Sports activities, the ideal Tv set platform in athletics,” Parker explained.

“I’ve experienced a terrific marriage with Sky Sporting activities in the past, with quite a few fantastic struggle nights against the top British heavyweights – I’ll struggle unquestionably anybody set in front of me.”

BOXXER CEO and founder Ben Shalom included: “This is a huge signing for BOXXER. Joe Parker is a single of the finest heavyweights in entire world boxing and we are delighted to welcome him to the workforce. Each individual ranking physique has him large in their checklist and now he’s moving into his prime, we glance ahead to taking him again to world title prospects and some enormous gatherings listed here in the Uk.”

Absolutely, there can be no argument that Parker’s identify and inventory remains relatively large, a lot more so in the United kingdom than any place other than his homeland. Nonetheless it is correct, also, that Parker seems superior suited to the job of B-aspect in a massive heavyweight blockbuster than he would be in the role of A-facet, significantly in the Uk, wherever he has, historically, discovered recognition as an opponent fairly headline attraction.

It will, in gentle of this, be appealing to see how the 30-year-outdated is employed. It will be just as interesting to see if the fight with Joyce, seemingly nailed-on a thirty day period in the past, can someway leapfrog the road blocks in its way and come across its way in excess of the line.

That would benefit them both, no question. Right after all, Joyce requires tests to prepare himself for a shot at a planet title and Parker, a person as accustomed to losing huge United kingdom fights as profitable them, could do with a sizeable British scalp to give his job some additional oomph.

With a history of 30-2 (16), Parker has to date beaten Hughie Fury and Dereck Chisora (twice) over in this article, nevertheless has also misplaced fights versus Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, neither of whom had been equipped to prevent the New Zealander even with edging him on the scorecards.

If predicting what he does subsequent, extra likely than a Joyce battle are a pair of rematches for Parker, just one towards Hughie Fury and the other in opposition to Dillian Whyte.