NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Boxing

Boxing: History man Joseph Parker carries hopes of a nation

Patrick McKendry
By Patrick McKendry
Reporter·NZ Herald·
8 Nov, 2016 02:46 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker. Photo / Photosport

"History", is the promoters' tagline for the Joseph Parker v Andy Ruiz Jr world heavyweight title fight at Auckland's Vector Arena, and it's an apt one.

Parker, 24, undefeated and near the top of his game, is unlikely to feature in a bout this big in New Zealand again. This is it, folks. Win, and he will defend his title in London or Las Vegas, Manchester, or Macau. Lose, and he has to re-build his career knowing he probably won't get this opportunity again.

It is the first time a recognised world title fight has been held here. Should Parker win, he will become the first New Zealand-born heavyweight champion of the world. If Ruiz Jr does, he will be Mexico's first.

There's another factor. As of today there are 32 days before the fight, which will make this one of the shortest build-ups ever to a title bout and which makes Duco's decision to hold it here following their knockbacks from central and local government all the riskier.

There are tickets to sell and a pay per view package (price yet to be confirmed but at least $50) to promote.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Due to the fighters' purses, sanctioning fees for the WBO, and other associated costs including an undercard featuring Parker's stablemate Izu Ugonoh and top Australian welterweight Jeff Horn, Duco need to find at least $4million to make it pay.

By way of comparison, Parker's most significant professional fight to date was against Carlos Takam and cost $2.2m to put on. They are in a deep financial hole, but are confident they can make it work in order to give Parker the best possible chance.

The short time-frame will make the fight all the more intriguing to most boxing fans and is likely to provide its own, unique, momentum. Duco's chief executive Martin Snedden, the man who had over four years to direct preparations for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, certainly hopes so.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

With his company's owners Dean Lonergan and David Higgins away looking for more broadcast partners overseas, it was left to Snedden to front the media yesterday and he was quickly in conciliatory mode after the funding saga of recent days which has become increasingly nasty thanks to the grandstanding by some politicians.

For now, Duco, have put that behind them. Ateed dropped a bombshell when pulling support from the event late on Thursday, but will continue to be valuable partners for the company, who put on such big events in Auckland as the NRL Nines.

"We've got zero angst about where that ended up," Snedden said. "We understand that there's a political game around this stuff and so our position is we're moving on, there's no hard feelings."

Asked, though, whether this proved the Government was right when it said the fight could happen without its support, Snedden replied: "That's rubbish. When we started out on this commercial route only 35 days ago we had no commercial contracts in place. We didn't know what would happen. We trusted our loyal sponsors and supporters but we were asking a lot of them... but we've hit a threshold in terms of risk assessment where we are saying that we're prepared to go for this."

Discover more

Boxing

Parker pay-per-view price to soar

05 Nov 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Parker fight turns sour outside ring

06 Nov 04:18 AM
Boxing

Parker runs into Ruiz in Vegas

07 Nov 01:07 AM
All Blacks

Pat Lam: The Irish are copying us

08 Nov 03:36 AM

Snedden, a former New Zealand international cricket player, said he had no doubt what the event could produce in terms of atmosphere.

"I've been down to Vector about four times in the last couple of weeks and you stand in the middle of the arena and you just imagine what it's like with a full house of 10,000 people that have such a high level of anticipation.

"When we had the Takam fight at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau in May, the atmosphere from the time Joseph walked out was something I've rarely experienced in a very long international sporting career."

Shot at the title:
* Vector Arena (capacity 10,000), December 10
* Tickets from Ticketmaster go on sale from Thursday, priced from $99
* Pay per view prices yet to be set - but likely to be at least $50

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Boxing

Boxing

'No truth in it': Gallen hits back at SBW claims

19 Jun 04:00 AM
Premium
Boxing

'Understand the magnitude': Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams

14 Jun 12:02 AM
New Zealand

Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams ahead of his biggest bout yet.

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Boxing

'No truth in it': Gallen hits back at SBW claims

'No truth in it': Gallen hits back at SBW claims

19 Jun 04:00 AM

Gallen and Williams will square off over eight two-minute rounds in Sydney in July.

Premium
'Understand the magnitude': Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams

'Understand the magnitude': Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams

14 Jun 12:02 AM
Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams ahead of his biggest bout yet.

Inside the mind of Sonny Bill Williams ahead of his biggest bout yet.

'Watch your mouth, bro': SBW's warning to Ryan Bridge

'Watch your mouth, bro': SBW's warning to Ryan Bridge

13 Jun 12:27 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP