Joseph Parker

Outspoken British boxer Tony Bellew remains interested in challenging Joseph Parker for the WBO world title, without committing to the Kiwi champion as the next man he wants to fight.

A cruiserweight world champion who stepped into the heavyweight division limelight by defeating former champion David Haye in March, Bellew is right in the mix as a potential opponent for Parker.

A 34-strong New Zealand team will leave tomorrow for the competition.

Some of the athletes meet each other for the first time today, in their fresh uniforms you could tell they were feeling a mix of excitement with nervousness.

One of them sixteen year-old Pelea Fruean started boxing at the age of 12 when her big cousin Joseph Parker started teaching her.

Parker defends his WBO World Heavyweight title against Fury in Manchester on September 23, with the winner placing themselves in prime position for a showdown with WBA and IBF champion Joshua.

Joshua has a rematch against Wladimir Klitschko and a challenge from IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev to get through first, but the promoters of both Joshua and Parker met on Tuesday (NZ time) to talk up a showdown between their two prize fighters in 2018.

Joseph Parker's team met Anthony Joshua promotor Eddie Hearn to discuss a potential fight next year.

Englishman Fury has been barred from taking part in an official fight before their September 23 bout in Manchester.

WBO rules specify that once a mandatory challenger signs to challenge the champion, they cannot fight before their title shot.

"The WBO, once you're a mandatory, you're not allowed to have a fight before your title shot, otherwise you'll lose your position. He's got some cobwebs to blow off, so he'll be in an exhibition," promoter Frank Warren told Boxing News.

Parker left New Zealand yesterday as he begins preparation to fight against his undefeated heavyweight opponent.

The two were set to clash in Auckland on May 6th before Fury pulled out citing a back injury.

Now fighting away from home, Parker said he's keen to prove his doubters wrong.

"I know there's a lot of doubters out there but I'll use my fists and let my fists do the talking.

"I think I have to go there and knock him (Fury) out to make a statement so that's what I'm going to do," Parker said.

The pair were meant to fight for Parker's World Boxing Organisation crown last month, but Englishman Fury pulled out citing a back injury.

Fury was replaced by Romanian Razvan Cojanu, who Parker beat in Auckland last month.

Now Duco Boss David Higgins told Radio LIVE's Sunday Sport an announcement will be made shortly about Parker and Fury getting in the ring together.

"The World Boxing Organisation has ordered we fight the mandatory challenger, which is Hughie Fury," Higgins said on RadioLive.  "They had given us 30 days to negotiate terms with the Fury camp.

New Zealander Parker will have a keen eye on the fight which has the IBF and WBA belts up for grabs. He's eager to line up a fight with either Klitschko or Joshua and would welcome a title unification bout with his WBO belt.

Parker's mind has been swaying backwards and forwards on who might win at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday (NZ time), in front of a 90,000 crowd.

"Leading up to the fight I was thinking of Joshua and his power but now the more I think about it, I come back to the experience factor of Klitschko," the 25-year-old Parker said on Friday.

Parker, the World Boxing Organisation champion, makes his maiden defence against Fury at Auckland's Vector Arena.

NZ Herald reports Joshua, the International Boxing Federation titleholder, and Klitschko, the former IBF, WBO and World Boxing Association champion, fight for the vacant WBA belt at London's Wembley Stadium.

A total of 90,000 tickets are understood to have been sold for the latter fight alongside an expected million pay-per-view passes, courtesy of an exclusive deal with BSkyB. Budgets suggest the fight will generate more than 50 million in revenue.

Under Bob Arum, Top Rank Boxing has guided the careers of the likes of Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquaiao, Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman.

Matchmaker Bruce Trampler said that Parker is a talent it couldn't pass up.

"We would love to be involved with Joseph Parker," he said.

"There are not too many Joseph Parkers' in the world, and you have to rank him as one of the best young heavyweights in the world."

The pair will fight for the WBO world heavyweight title in Auckland next month.

Ruiz told Fight News that he's as studied the past fights of the 24-year-old Parker, and he's noticed that the New Zealand can't fight well going backwards.

Ruiz wasn't impressed with how the 6'4" Parker fought in his narrow 12 round unanimous decision win over Carlos Takam in May in their fight in the WBO heavyweight eliminator bout.

"In his fight against Carlos Takam he didn't really look that good, he's not good fighting backward," Ruiz said.