Auckland (Sunday News) 02/11/2014 - Kevin Barry has no worries about throwing Joseph Parker in the ring with undefeated Australian heavyweight boxer Lucas Browne and believes the juicy trans-Tasman clash will eventually happen.
Parker's promoters Duco Events have been calling out Browne for the past year, believing he has an inflated record. They feel Parker's extensive amateur background and explosive speed would be too much for the Browne, 35, who came to boxing from a mixed martial arts background.
"Big Daddy" Browne is in the top 10 rankings of the WBC, WBA and IBF and can obviously sniff a title shot.
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Fighting a rising star like Parker is undoubtedly too risky at the moment and it seems no amount of money will entice Browne to New Zealand.
But Barry believes it's only a matter of time.
"I think that's a big trans-Tasman fight that will happen at some stage. It's a very interesting fight with two undefeated guys," he said.
Parker is 11th in the WBA rankings and 14th with the WBO and needs fights that will help his rapid climb.
"I know our promoters are very keen for this fight and it's definitely a fight that I'm not dodging," Barry said.
"But it's a fight that seems hard to make at the moment.
"Lucas is doing very well. He's had a couple of big wins, he beat an undefeated guy (Ukraine's Andriy Rudenko) last fight. He's making waves and he's trying to position himself.
"But I don't think that his promotional team would want to gamble on a fighter like Joe at the moment.
"When you are developing a fighter you pick styles that work for your guys and I don't believe that Joe's style is a favourable style for him."
Barry and Parker are back in Las Vegas preparing for the next assignment, a December 6 headline act on the Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton against veteran American Vinny Maddalone.
Browne is back in action in Melbourne on November 12, when he defends his WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council heavyweight title against Chauncy Welliver, a 31-year-old American who has extensive experience in New Zealand.
Welliver has compiled 55 wins from 68 fights as a pro since 2001. But he has lost three of his past five fights, including a majority decision over 12 rounds to Sherman Williams, the Bahamas boxer who Parker comfortably beat in his last outing.
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