Manager Pitches Joseph Parker to Face Andy Ruiz Jr., Avoids Filip Hrgovic for a Special Reason

Former titlist Joseph Parker could have gone closer to a world championship shot by bagging a fight against Filip Hrgovic for the IBF title eliminator. On beating Hrgovic, Parker would have earned a shot at the IBF strap which Oleksandr Usyk currently holds. However, the New Zealander has avoided the matchup and can land up against Andy Ruiz Jr.

Parker has already beaten Ruiz Jr. back in 2016 and although Ruiz Jr, is a top-tier name, he doesn’t have a world championship right now. But Parker is still willing to rematch ‘The Destroyer’ rather than facing the undefeated Croatian boxer.

Parker’s manager David Higgins says his client has made a good name in the UK and Asia-Pacific region. They are now hunting for big showdowns only and don’t see Hrgovic as a viable name. Higgins plans to take Joseph Parker to an international reach which he believes can be done by facing Ruiz Jr.

In a chat with Sky Sports, the manager said, “A rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr would be fantastic. Parker beat Ruiz Jr in a very close fight in New Zealand. Had it have been in America, it may have gone the other way.”

“Andy wants a rematch. Fighting him in America is interested because he has a cult following among Mexican-Americans. If Parker stuck to a game plan he would beat Deontay Wilder easily. Dillian Whyte? The long-awaited Whyte rematch would be interesting.” (H/T:- Boxing Scene)

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Meanwhile, Andy Ruiz Jr. hasn’t responded to the offer and can turn his head towards any other matchup. It can make a deficit of viable opponents for Joseph Parker. But he shall still avoid facing Filip Hrgovic.

Why is Joseph Parker not facing Filip Hrgovic?

14-0 as a professional, Hrgovic has 12 KOs under his name. He is also a top-tier fighter and can offer a tough challenge. Nevertheless, Parker seems unfazed and believes the Croatian rival will not fetch him his desired claims.

Higgins detailed it freshly and said, “There is an economic problem with Hrgovic. When we built up Parker, we built a fan base in New Zealand. We funded, paying big money, to stage Parker vs Andy Ruiz Jr in New Zealand. Does Hrgovic have a home fan base anywhere?”

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After vanquishing Dereck Chisora ecstatically in a rematch, Joseph Parker is in a stable position to go for the big shots. But the heavyweight division is currently in a complicated scenario. From mandataries to current champions, several matchups can be formed from the current state. Henceforth, Team Parker seems to aim for a much bigger name than Hrgovic.