New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker will face German champion Yakup Saglam in Palmerston North next month.
The 1.93m-tall Turkey-born boxer, known as the Scorpion, has 34 wins in 37 bouts, with 31 of his wins coming by knockout.
Parker will face Saglam, his 14th professional opponent, over 12 rounds on June 13 at Arena Manawatu.
Currently ranked eighth by the World Boxing Organisation and 10th by the World Boxing Association, Parker will be putting his regional WBA, Pan Asia Boxing Association, and WBO Oriental titles on the line.
The bout will be 1.93m Parker's first fight since sparring with world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in early April.
The 39-year-old Ukrainian afterwards described the Kiwi as "extremely talented".
"I don't know how the guy will develop but he has the potential," Klitschko said.
Parker's latest fight has been set up by international boxing matchmaker Stu Duncan, who says Parker's opponent is statistically the toughest ever faced by a heavyweight prospect in just his 14th fight.
"Wladimir Klitschko's 14th pro fight was against a guy with 18 losses," Duncan said.
"No one disputes Klitschko's gone on to be the most dominant heavyweight of the last decade.
"Turn the clock back slightly further, Lennox Lewis's 14th opponent had lost 10 times while Mike Tyson fought Sammy Scaff who was 13-6."
Promoter Dean Lonergan says as long as Parker, unbeaten to date as a professional, keeps winning decisively and with style, he'll earn a world title shot.
"The two current heavyweight champions (Klitschko and Deontay Wilder) each fought more than 30 times before they got their world title shot," Lonergan said.
"Joseph's road to the title is far steeper, but it is paying off in the world rankings."
Parker's last fight was in early March, when he stopped American Jason Pettaway early in the fourth round.
Share
