The all-Kiwi heavyweight showdown between boxing rivals Joseph Parker and Junior Fa has been confirmed.
After plenty of speculation in recent months, 1 NEWS can confirm the camps have finally agreed to terms today with an official announcement tomorrow.
Parker’s promoter David Higgins told 1 NEWS the fight will be “the biggest boxing event in New Zealand history”.
“There’s been six months of negotiations on money, the gloves, the arbitration in the case of dispute, pay-per-view share, international television rights, local sponsorship deals – there’s been more than dozen major contractual things to work through,” Higgins said.
“But everyone’s come together to put on a global event that will be globally televised in the midst of a pandemic and it looks like with a full audience as well.”
Higgins expects the fight to catch people’s attention both here and overseas.
“On paper, to have two heavyweights in their prime in the top 10 at the same time, that kind of makes it New Zealand’s biggest boxing event anyway but then add coming out of the pandemic that there’s not a lot else on."
"I think the eyes of the nation will be on it and there will be a lot of talk around the water cooler."
“We should celebrate two New Zealand athletes in their prime – one of Kiwi-Tongan decent and one of Kiwi-Samoan decent – so it’s a celebration of athleticism and diversity.”
The fight is being touted to take place in Auckland in December, but official confirmation won’t come until tomorrow’s announcement.
Fa and Parker split two wins each while amateurs with Fa taking the first and last of the four encounters.
Since both turned professional though, their paths have been remarkably different with Parker going on to claim the WBO heavyweight title and Fa having to combat health issues.
Parker was last in the ring in February when he claimed a TKO victory over American Shawndell Winters in the fifth round. A win that moved him to 27-2 in his professional career.
Fa on the other hand hasn’t fought since last November when he took down Devin Vargas with a unanimous decision after 10 rounds, taking his record to 19-0.
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