Parker's sights set on big US paydays
JONATHAN MCKEOWN
Last updated 13:00 11/10/2013
CHAMP: New Zealand's heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has his eyes on the US big time.
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Sonny Bill Williams is fast becoming "irrelevant" to the team surrounding New Zealand's heavyweight champion, as their attention turns to America and China.
After defeating Afa Tatupu in the second round to claim the New Zealand National Boxing Federation title last night, Joseph Parker - who could already be earning up to $1 million in endorsements alone - is ready for "bigger and better things".
"Professional boxing is all about the money," as Colonel Bob Sheridan said this week, and for the pay-per-view ratings alone, the Williams fight remains on the table for now.
Promoter Dean Lonergan, of Duco Events, said Williams was now a "simple money fight."
"Joseph knocks him over in the first or second round, and the reason they keep running like little girls is because they know they will get beat.
"If he doesn't take the fight in the next six to 12 months, we will be bypassing him."
Parker has said he would like to unify the two New Zealand titles.
New Zealand Professional Boxing Association national secretary Pat Leonard said his patience was "wearing thin" and he wanted the fight to go ahead in August or September next year. But president Lance Revill admitted that, with delays, it could be two years before Williams must fight the No 1 challenger, Parker, or risk being stripped of his title.
However, given his meteoric rise since his first professional bout 15 months ago, Parker is likely to be fighting on the world stage in two years' time.
Some observers say that by then, he could be fighting in the United States for a world heavyweight title, and even his current promoters - who have a six-year contract with Parker - could struggle to pay him.
"The process that Duco has over the next two years is to have him fight [in New Zealand], as long as they can afford to pay him," said Sheridan.
"A lot of people want him to come [to the US] and fight for the heavyweight championship within two years."
Lonergan confirmed that he was in discussions with Sheridan and Parker's trainer Kevin Barry about "doing promotions in Las Vegas".
"If Joe goes as far as we think he can go, obviously he will be fighting outside of New Zealand."
Duco also wants Parker to learn Mandarin so he can draw fans to fights in burgeoning boxing areas like Macau, opening the door to China.
For now, it will keep building his profile in New Zealand, with upcoming fights likely to be held in Christchurch, Nelson and possibly Invercargill.
"We will keep giving him bigger fights and bigger paydays, and when the time is right . . . we will start fighting Joseph around the world," Lonergan said.
He said Duco would love the six-year contract to run throughout the bulk of Parker's career and hopefully see it extended to a 10-year contract.
"We see Joseph, in a perfect world, finishing before the time he is 30 and retiring a multi-multimillionaire.
"At the end of the day, can we afford to pay him? Of course we can; it is just about applying the same principles in overseas markets."
Lonergan said one of the reasons Duco was in the boxing game was to break into the American market. "We would love to do it with Joseph Parker and a whole other stable of New Zealand boxers."
If Parker continues to win, Sheridan said Duane Ford, president of the North American Boxing Federation, had promised to bring the NABF championship fight to New Zealand within two years.
"That will be promoted by Duco, and after that [Parker] will be ranked No 10 in the WBC and they won't be able to afford to have the fights down here any more."
If Sheridan's sources are correct, Parker is already one of New Zealand's highest-paid athletes, even before paydays from fight nights are added.
"I don't know the figures, but they are telling me he is getting half a million dollars from Hydr8 and another half a million from Mr Moriarty, who is an investment banker," Sheridan said.
Lonergan said he did not know the "ins and outs" of those deals but said the annual cost to run Parker was already high. "We don't get much change out of $150,000-200,000, and that is before we pay him a cent."
Lonergan confirmed that Parker was sponsored "heavily" by Hydr8 ZERO and Rich Moriarty, a principal of the Union Gaming Group - an investment bank and securities firm focused on the global casino and resort industry - who recently opened an office in Macau.
Sheridan summed up the potential for Parker to become a one-man business. "Somebody that is smarter than me believes this kid is going all the way."
The question is, will Williams be a potential roadblock or a bypass?
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