By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker deserves a 70/30 split in his favor if he collides with WBO#1 Oleksandr Usyk for the vacant WBO championship in the event current champion Anthony Joshua decides to vacate according to Parker’s promoter David Higgins. “Usyk has not earned his stripes at heavyweight,” Higgins told Sky Sports. “Joseph Parker is the A-side and Joseph Parker has sold out the Principality Stadium with Joshua, he’s sold out The O2 with Whyte. He’s the A-side and so if Usyk wants to share the ring with Parker, I would be expecting 70/30 open book revenue share in Parker’s favor.
“I’ll get ridiculed for that, but listen, Parker has beaten Andy Ruiz, he’s sold out the Principality and the O2 and he’s a big name in the UK, so Usyk is the B-side. Absolutely Joe would fight him. As long as the Usyk team recognize and understand that they are the B-side, there’s no problem.
I don’t think so, buddy. Usyk = A side. He is the people are more interested in seeing fight, not Parker.
Btw, I hate the A-side/B-side crap. Just pay both fighters well and make the fight.
They obviously dont wanna fight Usyk. Canr blame em, Usyk is an animal
That guy is always running up his fat gob.
Parker must get rid of Higgens. He does more bad at promoting Parker than good. The Principality and 02 were sold out because of AJ and Whyte, not Parker. Whenever they fight it is a full house, not Parker. And I am a Parker fan saying all this.
Better hope he gets a 70-30 because he ain’t winning that fight.
Personally, this is the crap that is destroying the sport. It’s worse than it has ever been with the financial conjecture, contracts, he/she said, rematch clause “X” amount of times, promotors’ high stature influences on decisions, paying off resources for favors, and countless of other BS stuff. Give the fans what they want so the support keeps coming in. This is about boxing not collecting $200 every time we pass “Go” as in Monopoly. Folks, it’s just not Higgins! Take a look at Arum, Oscar, Haymon, etc. and all the other nimrods as promotors that have put off fights and manipulated the contracts all over what?; money. It’s no wonder boxing has lost some steam in some sectors because some people are sick and tired of the money and stipulations that delay or put off decent fights!
I guess WBO will decide the split? I’d have thought that if anything Usyk will get the better share as he’s the mandatory challenger?
As has already been pointed out the 02 sold out because of who he was fighting.
Higgens trying to price Parker out of the fight, because they don’t want that fight. Usyk beats him on skill and possibly KO, and that’s it for Parker
Let’s ignore the point that nobody should be fighting for the vacant belt, it should not be vacated……
This guy is horrible. Reminds me of Rock Newman during Bowe’s career
What a hoot. I remember Rock Newman after you pointed that out. I also recall when Bowe was scared to fight Lewis. In fact, so scared, he gave up a belt over it.
Didn’t Parker lose his last fight to Whyte? How is he even in the conversation for a title shot
70/30 in favor of Joseph? I don’t think so busy, dream on. At best 55/45 Joseph, and that’s exaggerating…
Only 70-30? Why not demand 99-1?
I think Higgins needs to be part of the pre-fight drug-testing!
Usyk should get 60 and Parker 40, and only because Usyk recently moved up. Plus, Parker better keep those hands up better.
I hope this fight falls through and Whyte steps instead. That is when the split should be against Usyk. Parker doesn’t deserve a title shot, any time he has faced good opposition whether he loses or struggles mighty to get the win, Whyte in the other hand, rightfully deserve it long time ago.Just look at his record since his only loss to Joshua, 11 clear wins in a row (one of them over Parker).
I’m English, live in NZ – and rate Parker but he needs Bob Arum.
Against Joshua the atrocious Italian ref broke them up (you hear me Eddie?) every time Parker got inside able to bash Joshua,
as was his game-plan the ref protected Joshua! Funny that?
And Parker went toe-to-toe with a far fitter Andy Ruiz than Joshua met in his first fight against him, and took all the teak-tough Mexican’s best shots without going down. Joshua laid down four times, got kayoed, and then months and months and months later, manufactured a porky as an excuse. In Joshua-Ruiz 2, Joshua became a poor man’s Muhammad Ali and wouldn’t stand toe-to-toe even with the sadly, horribly, grossly overweight and out of shape, Ruiz.
Joshua is the Titanic with Captain Eddie.
I’d also suggest a few of should you have another look at the Whyte vs Parker fight. Whyte’s headbutt into Parker’s chest crucially counted as a knockdown? Who was out on his feet in the last round literally hanging on, draped all over Parker?
Whyte, that’s who!
Okay, so Uzyk could play Joaquin Phoenix’s part in Joker with no makeup, but that will help him only so far. He needs fast Eddie.
A kayo over Bucket-mouth Bellew? Uzyk is so far just a novelty that needs to be put in his place by a few of the top heavyweights to gain a proper rating. Parker, Rivas, Chisora, Pulev…
Neither guys fight much. Usyk hardly fights at all to get any favorable terms. I believe Higgins makes a point. Usyk is treated like a primadonna and hasn’t done anything in the division. Usyk cleaned out a division of no-names and it shouldnt bring leverage against an established Heavyweight. Usyk already been given gift ranking as it is.
as a parker fan this is not helpful in seeing him back in the ring again, hes been invisible for some time now, either retire, or fight but enough of the bs, as a pro you should always be ready to fight, its your job, sadly team parker are talking themselves out of fights, this seems to be the first step in ensuring he doesnt get this fight either.
wouldn’t It make sense to have it be 60/40 (or something to that extent) in favor of the winner of the fight and 50/50 if draw. Seems it would give a greater incentive to each fighter.
Maybe i’m missing something that everyone else is. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Make sense to me. But they are afraid of Usyk
70/30 for Usyk is realistic. Maybe Higgins is dyslexic.
How about 30% each and the last 40% for the winner? Then it will be 70/30 – only in favour of Usyk 😀
Usk beat big Joyce & Fa As a Amateur ! Fa beat Parker than ! Usk beat 2 crusiers who koed Cahrr & Hay as heavies !!!
Dude, I’m sick of these promoters and trainers from down under with their delusions. Usyk has fought all over the world, is undefeated and the number four pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Parker hasn’t done very much if anything of late, so team Parker should be happy to get 50%.
Perhaps if the fight were held in New Zeland, Parker’s people would be a little closer to reality. But as it stands now in such a match, Parker is only the opponent. Boxing fans around the world are more interested in what Usyk can do, and how far he can go. In most rings around the world, Usyk is the far greater attraction than is Parker.
Higgins ,just another bellend.Parker was gifted the Ruiz win,you don’t even have to watch the fight they had,go on YouTube ,watch just before they read out judges cards, read parkers body language, he knows he was soundly beat and so do all his team.RUIZ WAS ROBBED.
Obviously somebody doesn’t really want this fight. Usyk is the draw wherever the Ukrainian diaspora is, and that certainly includes the UK.