David Higgins, manager of the former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, considers that the final IBF eliminator with Filip Hrgovic doesn't make financial sense. Parker won a tough rematch with Derek Chisora last month. Initially, the IBF appointed an eliminator between Luis Ortiz and Hrgovic. Ortiz, with a hand injury sustained last Saturday in a duel with Charles Martin, turned down the opportunity. Then the IBF offered Parker the opportunity to meet with Ortiz.
Parker, like Ortiz, is on the hunt for bigger names and far more lucrative opportunities. One fight Parker would like to have is a rematch with former unified champion Andy Ruiz, who lost to a New Zealand boxer on points several years ago.
“Joseph has a lot of authority in the UK and Asia Pacific. It has the potential to become an attractive contender on both sides of the Atlantic, something few have done. Joseph is looking for fights with the big American fighters,” Higgins told Sky Sports.
“It will give him a worldwide reputation while waiting for his title shot. If you don't, you can end up like Anthony Joshua - respected only in certain parts of London. A rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr would be fantastic. Ruiz Jr. lost to him in a very close fight in New Zealand. If it were in America, things could have turned the other way.
“Andy wants revenge. We are interested in fighting him in America because he is popular with Mexican Americans. If Parker sticks to the fight plan, he will easily defeat Deontay Wilder. Dillian Whyte? The long-awaited rematch with White would also be interesting to us."
According to Higgins, the money they can get from fighting Hrgovic is much lower than what Parker can earn from meeting other opponents, which makes this option very problematic for the organization.
“There is an economic problem with Hrgovic. When we were building Parker's career, we were building his fan base in New Zealand. We financed it by investing a lot of money in Parker vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. in New Zealand. Does Hrgovic have a fan base anywhere? He has a high rating, but he has no fans, so the money offered to us is ludicrously small for a fighter of the level of Parker,” Higgins said.
“Besides, this fight is at the very end of the line of eliminators, because the champion has other belts. So Parker will not fight Hrgovic for a fee that would barely cover his training costs. He will win, but then he will sit for years, waiting for his chance,” added Higgins.
