Joseph Parker will fight Andy Ruiz Jr for vacant WBO heavyweight title

By Richard Damerell

Image: Joseph Parker will face Andy Ruiz Jr for vacant WBO heavyweight title

Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr have been granted a fight for the vacant WBO heavyweight title.

The WBO had suggested they could stage a four-man tournament to decide their next heavyweight champion after Tyson Fury vacated the title last week.

But the organisation voted unanimously to approve a WBO title fight between Parker, who is the organisation's No 1 contender, and the third-ranked Ruiz Jr.

Parker is mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua, but the New Zealander switched his sights to a WBO fight with Ruiz Jr after the IBF champion's promoter Eddie Hearn opened talks with Wladimir Klitschko.

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Plans are already in place to stage Parker-Ruiz Jr in Auckland on December 10 and the new WBO champion could be ordered to face David Haye, who is No 4 in the WBO rankings.

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Carl Moretti of Top Rank, who promote Ruiz Jr, told fightnews.com: "The winner of this fight will fight anyone that the WBO decrees to fight next."  

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