Boxing: Joseph Parker-Junior Fa confirmed as surprise punching showdown

The long awaited boxing match between Joseph Parker and Junior Fa is ready to continue.

The camps agreed on the terms with an official announcement expected tomorrow.

There are a few small loose ends to piece together, but the Herald understands that promoters are looking for a fight in Auckland, probably in December.

Meanwhile, a roadblock has plagued the preparations, threatening to disrupt the preparation for the heavyweight fight.

Parker recently learned that his sparring partner, Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello, has been denied a waiver to enter the country to help him prepare for the fight.

They have appealed the decision, but if that is also negative, they will seek to postpone the fight.

“We will not put Joseph in the ring against a man ranked No. 6 in the world by the WBO without proper preparation,” said manager David Higgins. “We went through the correct process to get him designated as an essential worker, but that was denied as his skill set is available in New Zealand.

“I don’t know if they have someone on that [economic development] Bureaucracy with boxing experience, but that’s just not the case and we’ve appealed that. “

Stuart Duncan, one of the best matchmakers in the southern hemisphere, and Kevin Barry, Parker’s coach, wrote to the ministry explaining that Vianello’s height, weight, and experience were perfect to help prepare Parker for Fa’s challenge.

Vianello lives with Barry in Las Vegas and has been a part of Parker’s camps in the past. The 26-year-old Italian nicknamed The Gladiator has a 7-0 professional record, winning all seven fights by knockout.

Parker’s management says they are not seeking special treatment and Vianello committed to 14-day quarantine protocols upon arrival.

Duncan and Barry explained that there was no one in New Zealand capable of grooming Parker to a sufficient level, but the Government was not buying into that argument.

“We didn’t come out to push,” Higgins said, “but we want common sense to prevail. We’ve seen waivers for the film industry, the America’s Cup, and other sports, so I don’t know how this is different.”

In fact, Parker’s camp could feel fully justified in the slight given the obvious health and safety benefits of having a proper sparring partner, as well as the economic ramifications of the fight not continuing.

A significant sticking point that remains outside of the developer’s control is Covid-19. If a crowd can’t attend, the fight will be postponed as promoters would risk losing a lot of money even with a rich streaming deal.

If he goes ahead as scheduled, you can argue that this could match David Tua v Shane Cameron as the most prestigious kiwi fight ever. While that was a huge success locally, Parker-Fa would likely have more traction internationally as the industry has been deprived of quality matchups due to the pandemic.

Parker is 27-2 and ranked by the influential BoxRec.com ratings as the 12th best heavyweight in the world. Fa is 19-0 and at number 31 on the same list.

While this is not part of Parker’s three-fight deal with Matchroom, the Hearns will continue to use their considerable weight in the European and US markets to propel this fight to a large global audience.

A win for Parker, 28, would be a welcome boost after his promotion stalled after back-to-back losses to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. A victory for Fa, 30, would move him out of the title contender.