Boxing: Browne camp looking to Parker fight within 18 months

Lucas Browne is undefeated in 21 bouts. Photo / Getty Images

One of the promoters attached to Australian boxer Lucas Browne says the heavyweight isn't ducking a meeting with Joseph Parker and believes the fight will happen within 18 months.

Brendan Bourke, who is the Australian agent for Hatton Promotions who handle Brown (21-0), believed the undefeated slugger was on track for an eventual world title shot against champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Parker's handlers Duco have tried to draw the highly-ranked Browne into a bout with the 11-0 Kiwi for the past year but have been unsuccessful as neither party has been able to agree to terms.

Hatton Promotions previously said the fight doesn't work for their man's quest to be in a mandatory position to challenge Klitschko, while Duco have been bullish in their belief that Parker would easily beat Browne.

Parker is ranked 11th in the WBA to Browne's five and Bourke said it would work better down the line as a potential title eliminator, which would have greater pulling power to the TV audience.

"There will come a time where this fight is going to be a must to happen," Bourke said.

"I think that's probably in 12-18 months."

There's a chance Parker could be billed as high as No 9 in the WBA when the rankings are updated next and Duco's Dean Lonergan, who insisted their offer to Browne was a bigger purse than he had ever fought for in his career, was less than convinced the bout would take place.

"The only time the fight will happen is when Lucas is on the way down because they're so scared and gutless; they won't take what is a reasonably big-money offer for Lucas to fight," Lonergan said. "When he's on the way down we are going to have no interest in him because we are going to be on the way up."

Browne, 1.93m and 125kg, has been courted by Sky Arena about fighting in New Zealand next year and there's a chance he may headline a Super 8 card in 2015.

The 35-year-old may attend November's cruiserweight Super 8 fight night on the North Shore where Kiwis Shane Cameron and Kali Meehan are set to clash in the main event for the vacant WBA Oceania heavyweight title.

Meanwhile, Samoa's Vaitele Soi has been added to the lineup for the November 22 Super 8 tournament. Soi (22-0) will join Kiwis Monty Filimaea and Lance Bryant, alongside Australians Brad Pitt, Daniel Ammann and Anthony McCracken.