By Jeff Aranow: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly interested in matching WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-0 18 KOs) against former heavyweight world title challenger Bryant Jennings (20-2, 11 KOs) for December.
Parker had a very easy fight last Saturday night in beating mandatory challenger Hughie Fury (20-1, 10 KOs) by a 12 round majority decision at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Hughie didn’t want to fight. He was more interested in moving around the ring, throwing jabs and tying Parker up to prevent him from unloading his big power shots.
It wasn’t much of a fight to watch for the boxing fans. Hughie and his team seemed to believe they could win the fight by fighting negatively. Parker won the fight by the following judges’ scores 118-110, 118-110 and 114-114.
Hughie’s promoter Mick Hennessy plans on appealing the decision with the World Boxing Organization, but it’s unlikely that a rematch will be ordered. Parker has the ability to beat Hughie in a second fight if needed, but it’s not likely a rematch will be ordered.
Arum co-promotes the 25-year-old Parker along with Duco Events. Arum also recently signed the 33-year-old Jennings to his promotional company, so matching him against Parker is a no-brainer, and fully expected move by him.
Jennings recently came off of a 2-year layoff from boxing to stop little known Daniel Martz in the 2nd round on August 19 on the undercard of the light welterweight unification fight between Terence Crawford and Julius Indongo at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Jennings looked good in dismantling Martz, but he was fighting a mediocre tune-up level opponent, and not someone that you could get a good gauge of whether Jennings has the talent to beat someone like Parker. The last time that Jennings fought a good heavyweight, he destroyed by Luis “King Kong” Ortiz in a 7th round knockout loss on December 19, 2015 in Verona, New York.
Ortiz was sick with the flu, and yet he made easy work of Jennings. In Jennings’ fight before that, he was outclassed by former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in losing a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision on April 25, 2015.
Besides the Jennings fight, the other fights that are rumored for Parker for next year is a fight against the winner of the Tony Bellew vs. David Haye fight for the sprint of 2018. Bellew vs. Haye is expected to take place this December. If Parker wins that fight, then the plan is for him to fight IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a unification fight in the summer.
Those 3 fights should keep Parker busy. It’s going to be difficult for Parker each step of the way. Jennings is a formidable opponent when he’s at his best. He’s got long arms for a fighter only 6’3”, and he’s a good combination puncher. Parker will need to bring his A-game for him to beat Jennings. If he doesn’t stay focused, he can easily get beaten by a decision.