Can the WBO Title Return to the Fury Family?
By Andrew “El Magico” Juby
I would start this article by offering my most sincere condolences to the family of Jake La Motta
This Saturday, Hughie Fury attempts to take his first world title against New Zealand’s Joseph Parker, current WBO world heavyweight champion, and return the belt to the Fury family.
The winner will become one of three unbeaten world champions, the other two being Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
The fight was originally scheduled for the beginning of the summer, in New Zealand. Parker wanted to fight in front of his New Zealand fans at the Spark Arena in Auckland, and the fight was scheduled for 6th May.
The WBO announced that the fight was off on 22nd April. Fury’s father, Peter Fury, ( trainer for both Hughie and his cousin Tyson ), had pulled his son out just a couple of weeks before the fight was due to take place. The reason given was a recurring back injury that had flared up again during an intense training session.
In spite of this, the fight was rescheduled for 23rd September, 2017, in Manchester, UK. In front of 21,000 fans at the Manchester Arena. Which is not a million miles from Stockport, home town of Hughie Fury, who will now be fighting in front of HIS home crowd.
The Fury camp claimed that Parker’s promoters, Duco Events, had been trying to switch the fight to the UK anyway, citing money issues as the reason. ( Parker was originally refused entry to New Zealand to fight on home turf, due to his criminal record, although he was granted a tempory Visa). Training in Las Vegas, he has to get on a plane to the UK anyway, where the heavyweight division is particularly excitiing at the moment. It’s possible that he sees Hughie Fury as a stepping stone to the upper echelons of the sport.
This title is the one vacated by Hughie’s older cousin, Tyson, in October last year, who vacated both his WBO and WBA titles in order to facilitate his ”medical treatment and recovery” after admitting to taking cocaine in order to combat depression.
Saturday’s bout has the potential to be an excellent contest. Everybody loves a heavyweight, and with the 25 year old Parker standing at just over 6’3, and Fury ( who just turned 23 a few days ago ) a shade under 6’6, those ropes are certainly going to be tested. However, if Fury thinks he can control the pace from behind his jab, he may well come unstuck. Parker is much more of a brawler, has more ‘animal instinct’, and will not want to be dominated- neither will he want to be patient.
As usual, the promoters and their ever open purses, gaggling like chicks in a nest, dictate the viewing possibilities, and the only way to see this bout is via a Youtube pay-per-view. The contest is expected to start around 10pm or 22.00 hours UK time on Saturday. It is definately affordable though, at £14.99 GBP. I am not sure about viewing options anywhere else in the world, but the footage will no doubt be all over social media within minutes of the fight ending.
There is a decent undercard, starting about 6pm (18.00 hours ) UK time, with the lead supporting bout seeing British Bantamweight Champion Josh Wale making a title defence against Don Broadhurst.
Homeboy Joe Murray takes on Matty Fagan from nearby Ellesmere Port, that contest is a British Lightweight title eliminator.
Amir Khan’s younger brother Haroon also puts in an appearance, and there are some decent bouts completing the support. Viewers should definitely get their money’s worth.
I’m not going to be foolish enough to make a detailed prediction, I will leave that to all of the armchair pundits on social media. However, Parker’s tally of 18 wins by KO suggests that he has more stopping power, although with a four inch deficit in his reach, might want to take it inside when it goes toe to toe. But realistically, it could go either way. It will be interesting, and, I imagine, very entertaining viewing if Hughie’s older cousin Tyson Fury is ringside and starts getting vocal, and the outcome will definitely cast ripples into the Heavyweight pond. All in all, it should be a decent event for the spectators.
One thing is for sure. With both men entering the ring unbeaten in their professional careers, as the saying goes, somebody’s 0 has to go.
TALE OF THE TAPE
HUGHIE FURY (Challenger )
Total Bouts: 20 (20-0-0 with 10 wins by way of KO)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6’6″
Reach: 80 inches
Home town: Stockport, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Date Of Birth: September 18th 1994
Joseph Parker (Current WBO Heavyweight Champion)
Total bouts: 23 (23-0-0 with 18 wins by way of KO)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6’4
Reach: 76 inches
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, but born in New Zealand.
Date of birth: 9th January 1992
This is Parker’s UK boxing debut. Let’s make him welcome.
Even more interesting will be who the winner fights. But that’s another story- things change in this game quicker than you can say Oscar De La Hoya changes his underwear.
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