Team Parker keeping options open because they know Hearn will hardball them

[Like a Boss]

Team Parker (Duco) appear to be playing it smart by keeping Joseph Parker's options open. They know Eddie Hearn will play hardball with them next year and the best way to strengthen their bargaining position is to have other alternatives in place.

Some preliminary discussions have taken place about the possibility of Joseph Parker defending his WBO title against Lucas Browne next year. A stumbling block is that Browne is not currently WBO top 15 rated.

Browne will fight Sergey Kuzmin in late November. It is for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title, but should Browne win, it could also secure him that all important WBO top 15 ranking.

This would open the door to the possibility of a Parker- Browne title fight next year, and if that doesn't come off, Browne could instead pursue the WBA route, having claimed the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title.

So there is some smart positioning going on both camps. But it is of course reliant on Browne beating Kuzmin.

[jamamb]

not sure browne will beat kuzmin to be honest

[wesshaw1985]

I'd go after Browne and that Asian money, Fujimoto and Zhilel Zhang if I was Parker.
Sell the WBO belt to AJ in 2019...

[Like a Boss]

not sure browne will beat kuzmin to be honest

Kuzmin has only fought 44 rounds in the pro ranks and Browne has a decent set of whiskers. The longer the fight goes the more chance Browne wins IMO.

[asdfjkl]

I would try to get Wilder actually, Wilder his fanboys rven said Parker ducked Wilder, show them what's really going on. I expect Wilder to duck Parker actually, but it would be a better fight as Stiverne anyway.

[paddy chavez]

Parker has done an Ortiz as in he was hot property 2 years ago but after 3 crap fights in a row he's become irrelevant really . What does Parker offer other than a belt .

[whiskey]

Parker is alright, but I can’t say I get excited at the prospect of his fights.

Duco just want to cash in at some point. They want to keep him unbeaten until the weather is good enough for Wembley again.

[KiwiRider]

Ita hard to tell where Browne is at these days. He was caught out with the juice, or was he? He denies it. Is he past it? Probably by a few years. He has been quite inactive through drug bans, and not being relevant enough to get forward momentum opponents. I still think he is worth a crack for Parker if only for the money. Style wise it is good. But I worry Big Daddy has slipped.