Frank Warren takes aim at rival promoter with brutal put-down over fight

Frank Warren used the massive platform of Tyson Fury’s world title fight with Dillian Whyte to announce Joseph Parker vs Joe Joyce – only to have the rug pulled from under him

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Frank Warren has laughed off rival promoter Ben Shalom as being on his “first rodeo” after offering Joe Joyce another route to fighting Joseph Parker.

Warren, whose Queensberry Promotions have an exclusive contract with BT Sports, used the massive platform of Tyson Fury ‘s world title defence against Dillian Whyte to push an agreed bout between Joyce and Parker. But days later, as he attempted to get the paperwork over the line, the veteran promoter was stunned to learn Parker had signed with Boxxer and Sky Sports.

It appeared that New Zealander Parker’s big-money deal to join Shalom had put an end to the possible Joyce fight, until the promoter offered a £1.2million purse to the Brit to fight on Sky. But Warren scoffed at the idea, tweeting that Shalom and Parker were simply looking to save face.

“How to not make a fight,” Warren tweeted alongside a laughing emoji. “1. Get everything you want in a contract & then not sign it. 2. Sign with a broadcaster that the guy you ‘want’ to fight doesn’t box on. 3. Make ‘face saving’ public offer for a fight you know now can’t happen. Welcome to Ben Shalom’s first rodeo.”

Shalom put a lot behind the signing of Parker, who is a former world heavyweight champion and training partner of Tyson Fury. He is currently working with Andy Lee in an effort to once again reach the sport’s summit and, at just 30 years old, could definitely find his way back to the top.

The track to gold is likely to be held up for another few months by Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch and then further negotiations for an undisputed fight between the winner and Fury. But a way to put himself at the top of the list once that is done would be for Parker to face Joyce, which his promoter claims he still wants.

Who do you think would win in a heavyweight showdown between Joseph Parker and Joe Joyce? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

“We put in a big offer,” Shalom told Sky Sports of the Joyce bout. “That’s a fight he wants, he still wants the big fights. We put in a big offer to Joe Joyce.

“The great thing about Joseph is he wants to fight everyone and I expect him in a big fight in September, October. He’s very, very well ranked with the WBO and the WBC. It’s a matter of time.

“He’s 30 years old. He’s a lot younger than a lot of the heavyweights now and he’s not taken a lot of punishment either. He’s getting better and better with [trainer] Andy Lee. He’s coming towards his prime now. That’s his goal. He wants another world title shot. He’s one of the youngest world champions we’ve seen and he wants to do it again.”