If Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn pulls this off he will be a guaranteed Promoter of The Year award winner in Britain this year. The big plans that are currently underway are for THREE big heavyweight fights to take place on the same night in Cardiff, Wales in either November or December of this year.
According to a news piece in The Mail, Hearn is working, along with others, on staging Anthony Joshua’s second title defence, Joseph Parker against David Price and Dereck Chisora against Dillian Whyte, all at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The word now is Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev, the current European heavyweight champion, is the frontrunner to land the shot at IBF boss Joshua. This fight, a solid match-up that could well provide A.J with his stiffest pro test thus far in his career, would be supported in fine style if the other two in-the-works match-ups get made.
Parker, Joshua’s mandatory – who will face Alexander Dimutrenko in October – likes keeping busy, and a fight between the New Zealander and the big-hitting Price (who is also chasing a shot at Joshua) would be a fascinating, if risky, fight (for both men). Whereas the Chisora-Whyte grudge-match, a fight between two Londoners who hate each other, could be the best fight of the three.
Hearn must be applauded for thinking big:
“We are looking at the possibility of a big night of heavyweight boxing at the Principality Stadium,” Hearn said. “We are talking about David Price Vs. Joseph Parker, Dillian Whyte Vs. Dereck Chisora and then Anthony Joshua Vs. Kubrat Pulev all bundled into one – it could be a lot of fun. It could be either late November or December – we will definitely have the roof shut given the time of the year!”
There have been huge boxing nights in Wales before (and Lennox Lewis fought Frank Bruno in a massive night of British heavyweight boxing back in 1993) but this card, if it comes off, might top the lot. All three fights are of the solid variety and a case could be made for the winner of each fight being either fighter.
Joshua would be in with the toughest, most durable opponent of his pro career (Pulev beaten, stopped, only by Wladimir Klitschko in an exciting fire fight), while Parker would be facing a dangerous, much bigger (in height and weight) puncher in Price. Whyte-Chisora? That one is a great crossroads fight.
Let’s hope Hearn and Co. can put this great card together as planned.
