Joseph Parker vs Junior Fa pits two New Zealand heavyweights at very different stages in their careers, and it all adds up to a “brilliant brilliant fight” this Saturday night (February 27) according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will bring the huge domestic showdown to the boxing world on Saturday February 27 when the two men lock horns at Auckland’s Spark Arena (live on Spark Sport in New Zealand and DAZN in the UK and United States).
IT’S FIGHT SEASON ON DAZN: Sign up to watch Parker vs Fa and Canelo vs Yildirim!
The bout adds yet another intriguing entry into what looks like a stacked elite heavyweight schedule in the first half of 2020.
Hearn said: “Brilliant fight, brilliant fight for that part of the world, brilliant during the pandemic
“But what a fight, what a fight for New Zealand. Four fights between them in the amateurs, two each.
“Amateur rivalry or not, they’re both from New Zealand. This is about the pride of the country, about heavyweight pride. This is about the winner going on and probably challenging for the world title.”
Rankings at risk
Parker (27-2) and Fa (19-0) are both ranked in the top 10 by the WBO – Parker is #3 and Fa is #5.
Hearn outlined just what the big showdown means for each fighter.
“For Junior Fa this is an opportunity to sort of leapfrog everybody else in that top 10 and put yourself in top three in governing bodies,” he said.
“You saw with Whyte vs Povetkin, anything can happen in the heavyweight division. Junior Fa will be going into this fight thinking he can cause a major upset.”
Tense negotiations
The bout has taken a long time to finalise after some tense negotiations, but Hearn explained that is just the nature of the beast.
“It’s taken a long time but that’s because of the type of fight it is. Two New Zealanders, two great heavyweights, two guys that are different stages in their careers.
“One guy that’s got everything to lose with his position in Joseph Parker. The other guy who probably didn’t think this kind of fight would come quite as early.
“But that’s one of the great things about the situation we’re in at the moment. Everyone’s stepping up to the challenge, everyone’s realising that these great fights need to be made.
“Joseph Parker against Junior Fa is a cracking fight, not just for New Zealand, but for the global heavyweight scene as well.”
