Duco Events and Top Rank promotions - Andy Ruiz's promoters, have agreed to co-promote New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker following this weekend's WBO world title fight in Auckland.
Duco co-director Dean Lonergan (L) shakes hand's with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum (C) along with Duco co-director David Higgins. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Top Rank's chief executive, Bob Arum, is in the country for the Parker-Ruiz fight on Saturday and agreed to promote the New Zealand heavyweight throughout the USA and China while Duco, who's promoted Parker for the majority of his professional boxing career, looks after the Australasian market.
Arum has been responsible for such boxing promotions as the Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and was Floyd Mayweather's promoter for 10 years.
Despite the agreement, Arum denies it mean's Parker will win on Saturday.
"Having been in this business 50 plus years, I don't expect anybody to win a fight and anything can happen in a fight like this heavyweight fight but irrespective of who wins, the relationship with Duco will continue and go on," Arum said.
Parker's may be big here in New Zealand but he's yet to crack the bigger markets of the US and Europe
However, Duco director Dean Lonergan said that's about to change with the new agreement with Top Rank.
"Don't think this is too big for us, we're just starting.
"We have massive global ambitions for Joseph and for a number of other fighters, just because we come from New Zealand doesn't mean to say that we can't do it overseas in fact it encourages us to go overseas because our market is so small," Lonergan said.
The Parker-Ruiz fight will be held at Vector Arena in Auckland on Saturday night.
-RNZ
