Joseph Parker's next opponent is set to be American brawler Vinny Maddalone, described as a "real-life Rocky Balboa" due to his crowd-pleasing aggressive style.
Parker's promoters Duco Events, who have struggled to find an opponent for 22-year-old heavyweight Parker for the Fight for Life event in Hamilton on December 6, are in the final stages of negotiations with Maddalone, a 40-year-old from Queens, New York, who has a 37-win, 8-loss, 1-draw record.
Parker went to 11-0 with his comfortable points victory over 10 rounds against Sherman Williams in west Auckland on Saturday.
Maddalone has lost only once in his last six fights and that was against undefeated Englishman Tyson Fury who is listed at 4th on the WBO heavyweight rankings.
Also fighting on the Fight for Life card will be Australian welterweight Jeff Horn, who is also on Duco's books and who is ranked 15th in the WBA.
