In winning the right to promote Joseph Parker's first defence of his WBO heavyweight title, his handlers have guaranteed the New Zealander the biggest payday of his career, one that will reap him more than $2million.
After weeks of futile negotiations, Duco Events won the purse bid in Puerto Rico overnight against Hughie Fury's promoter Frank Warren with a bid of $US3,011,000 (about $NZ4,100,000) to $US2,800,000 (about $NZ3,800,000). Parker will take 60 per cent of the winning bid (about $NZ2,400,000), regardless if he wins or loses. His opponent, Englishman Fury, will take the rest.
For Parker, who turned professional only in 2012, it means the big money is starting to roll in, although it also means Duco will have to pull out all stops in order to finance the fight, including selling television rights, pay per views and sponsorship.
It also means the fight will be held on April 1 and probably in Auckland, although Duco's David Higgins today refused to rule out other locations, including Samoa. The Samoan government have already agreed to help fund Parker's defence, the big question is whether the New Zealand government, so reluctant to get involved in Parker's world title victory over Mexican Andy Ruiz at Auckland's Vector Arena in November, follows suit.
While Auckland, the place of Parker's birth, will be Duco's preferred location for the fight against the undefeated Fury, if Duco draw another blank from local and central government, a fight in Apia or elsewhere offshore is not out of the question.
