Published
6 years agoon
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Michael WoodsAmid all the Mayweather-McGregor and then GGG-Canelo hoopla, some other bouts have been flying under radar, but deserve some ink.
Joseph Parker will be defending his WBO heavyweight strap Sept. 23 in England, taking his 23-0 record to the Manchester Arena in England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_t6wdLq9LA
Parker, a 25 year old New Zealander, will be challenged by 20-0 Hughie Fury, age 22, who has been skillfully managed to this spot and will be stepping up a class or two in competition, having been a pro since 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPmxxBx4u4
Fans have been curious if we’ll be able to watch this tango in the US, without resorting to an iffy stream. They are in luck—I’m hearing a TV arrangement to show Parker vs Fury is in the works and should be announced soon.
Parker won this title, then vacant, when he beat Andy Ruiz in December 2016, and defended once, against late sub Raz Cojanu, in May.
Editor/publisher Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the thought to be impregnable Mike Tyson. The Brooklyn-based journalist Woods has covered the sport since then, for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, ESPN New York, RING, and he was editor of TheSweetScience.com from 2007-2015. Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live since 2017. He now does work for PROBOX TV, the first truly global boxing network.