Hughie Fury to face Joseph Parker for WBO heavyweight belt

Hughie Fury’s WBO heavyweight title fight with defending champion Joseph Parker has been confirmed for September 23 at the Manchester Arena.

The younger cousin of Tyson Fury bids to win one of the titles the 28-year-old won in 2015 against Wladimir Klitschko.

He had been scheduled to challenge New Zealander Parker, 25, in Auckland on May 6 until injury forced his withdrawal a fortnight before.

The development also comes while the Furys’ hearing with UK-Anti Doping, relating to allegations they tested positively for nandrolone in 2015, is still to take place.

Hughie Fury, 22, last fought when extending his undefeated record against Fred Kassi in April 2016. His preparations for Parker continue next Saturday against an as yet unconfirmed opponent on a Frank Warren bill at London’s Copper Box Arena.

“I’ve waited so long for this chance and my team have worked very hard to get me this fight and I’d like to thank everyone involved,” he said.

“I’m going to shock the world and prove all my doubters wrong and what better place to do it than in my home city of Manchester. Parker is a good fighter and I’ve no doubt we’ll both bring our A-game on fight night. I can’t wait to be crowned world champion.”

Fury could yet take a further warm-up fight before September, but Parker will remain the more proven having defeated Andy Ruiz Jnr and Alexander Dimitrenko in two of his past three fights.

“I’m excited that the next defence of my title will be in England because it is now the home of heavyweight boxing and I need to be fighting there regularly,” Parker said.

“Fighting away from home holds no fears for me. I will arrive having previously fought on the undercard of a Wladimir Klitschko world title fight in Germany and also twice in America.

“I believe that with so many kiwis and Samoans living in the UK, I may even have more supporters in the crowd on fight night than Hughie Fury.”