26 Jun 2017

Parker-Fury fight confirmed, again

12:05 pm on 26 June 2017

New Zealand WBO world heavyweight boxing champion Joseph Parker has been forced to take his fight with British boxer, Hughie Fury, to the UK after the later's camp refused to fight in Auckland.

Hughie Fury and Joseph Parker

Hughie Fury and Joseph Parker Photo: Supplied / Photosport

Fury and Parker were originally set to fight in Auckland in May in the mandatory challenge to Parker's WBO belt but Fury pulled out two weeks before the bout citing a back injury as the reason.

In the lead up to the fight, Fury's camp had made it clear they weren't interested in having the fight in New Zealand and even tried to have it moved to the UK at the last minute.

Fury was replaced by Romanian boxer Razvan Cojanu in the May fight but negotiations with the Brit's camp continued as he still held the rights to the WBO's mandatory challenge to Parker's belt.

The new fight will take place in Fury's hometown of Manchester on September 23.

It'll be Parker's first fight in the UK and just his third outside the South Pacific.

Parker said he's looking forward to taking the fight to the UK.

"In the contact is what we want and David (Higgins) has worked very hard to get the contract sorted and now that it's ready and the date is confirmed, we're looking forward to going over to the UK and making a statement and putting on a great show.

"The idea of going to the UK is something I am looking forward to, and no I don't hold any grudges (about Fury not coming to NZ on May 6), I just go in there respect my opponent and do what I have to do. That's go in there and win the fight and defend my title and keep it here."

-RNZ