Torpedo Billy Murphy with his featherweight World Championship belt - New Zealand's only world champion boxer. Photo / supplied
Torpedo Billy Murphy with his featherweight World Championship belt - New Zealand's only world champion boxer. Photo / supplied
The royal family of Kiwi boxing are calling on Joseph Parker to end a 126-year drought in tonight's world heavyweight title showdown with Andy Ruiz Jr.
Parker can become just the second New Zealand-born boxer to ever wear a world title belt this evening - and the first since the19th Century when bare-knuckle prize-fighter "Torpedo" Billy Murphy landed the featherweight championship of the world.
Murphy, a former Ponsonby tailor, made Kiwi sporting history in 1890 when he landed a knockout right hand to the jaw of Irishman Ike Weir in the 14th round of their clash in San Francisco.
And after years of waiting for his family's feat to be repeated, Murphy's great-nephew Dillon Kennedy is urging Parker to join "Torpedo" in the history books.
"A 126-year legacy will come into play when Joseph Parker steps into the ring," Kennedy said. "The family of Torpedo Billy Murphy are backing Joseph to end the drought for New Zealand-born boxers and win the world title.
"I guarantee Billy Murphy would be in Joseph Parker's corner shouting as loud as anyone. Come on Joe, you can do it."
In 126 years though, the stakes have changed significantly.
Murphy's triumph saw him awarded a winner's cheque of $2250, whereas Parker faces a million-dollar payday tonight - where victory would also tee-up a multi-million fight with British heavyweight champion David Haye.
Parker also has the luxury of concentrating on just one opponent in Ruiz Jr, rather than having to knock out three opponents in one night as Torpedo once did, who won 91 and drew 23 of his 165 fights.
Torpedo Billy Murphy with his featherweight World Championship belt - New Zealand's only world champion boxer. Photo / supplied
"Boxing historians around the world described Torpedo Billy Murphy as pound-for-pound, the hardest-hitting puncher ever to step into the ring," Kennedy said.
"Billy was the first fighter from Australasia to win a world title, but since Australia has produced around 20 world title holders."
A number of fighters identified as Kiwis have hit world titles since Murphy, though none were actually born in New Zealand.
They include Timaru's Bob Fitzsimmons who claimed the world heavyweight crown in 1897 - a career which would see him become the first man to win world titles in three weight divisions. Fitzsimmons was born in the UK.
Similarly, David Tua, Maselino Masoe and James "Jimmy Thunder" Peau were all born in Samoa.
"The legacy here is that Joe can go where a number of very good New Zealand-born boxers have tried, but fallen just short, including names like Shane Cameron," Kennedy said.
"The quality of Kiwi boxer has been coming through, but just not quite getting to the top of Everest."
Whangarei-based Kennedy says he won't be able to make it to tonight's Auckland showdown, but says he'll be sure to catch the fight on TV.
