HUGHIE FURY WILL fight New Zealand’s WBO World heavyweight champion Joseph Parker on 23 September, Hennessy Sports have confirmed.
The 22-year-old Fury, a cousin of former World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, has been out of the ring since April of last year, but is the number one-ranked and mandatory challenger to the Kiwi’s crown. He’ll have hometown advantage in September, with the fight set to take place at the Manchester Arena.
Parker has won all 23 of his professional contests, 18 by stoppage, but failed to impress in a mundane victory over the unheralded Razvan Cojanuv last month. The South Auckland big-hitter has long been slated as a prospective opponent for fellow heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, but will instead trade leather with Joshua’s fellow Briton in Fury, with the winner likely to face ‘AJ’ in 2018.
Fury himself has won all 20 of his professional contests, 10 by stoppage, and was originally scheduled to fight Parker in New Zealand last month only for a back injury to scupper his first world title opportunity. His promoters, Hennessy Sports, have confirmed that he’ll first box on 8 July at London’s Copper Box Arena in order to shake off any ring-rust accrued during his lengthy spell away from the sport. It’s also been mooted that Fury will fight a week later in Blackpool, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Speaking to the Express earlier this month, Fury outlined just what it would mean to him to fight for world honours in his home city of Manchester, particularly after the recent terror attack at Manchester Arena.
“Like everyone in Manchester, Britain and around the world, I was horrified and saddened by the terrorist attack in Manchester and for the way it has shattered so many lives,” he said.
“It left me feeling sick to my stomach seeing what this cowardly terrorist had done to innocent kids and families just going out for what was meant to be a fun evening, it’s beyond words.
“I was born and raised in Manchester and I love this city, if winning the world title can give Manchester a lift then at least I’ve done a small bit for my city.
“But the families of the victims are the real heroes and will somehow try to go about their daily lives.”
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