Downunder wrap-up: Parker defeats Ruiz, but Arum steals the show, Horn, O'connell and Dogboe shine, Zappavigna falls short, Carr passes away

While much of the media focused on the historic WBO heavyweight title fight between Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr that took place in New Zealand this past weekend, there was another story brewing on the sidelines that seemed to involve everyone in boxing from the southern hemisphere and one of the most notorious names in the sport from the past 50 years.

If you believed the media coverage, Bob Arum was the Pope, the Frank Sinatra and the Nelson Mandela of boxing all rolled into one. And his arrival in Auckland was, by all accounts, treated like the second coming of Christ.

On Thursday night, the CEO of promotional firm Top Rank charmed a large contingent of media and boxing personalities at a dinner to celebrate his 85th birthday, but the real story wasn’t about The Bobfather inching a year closer to death. Rather, the savvy businessman was toasting a deal that would see some of the southern hemisphere’s best talent get a start in the States – and/or China, where Top Rank has established a solid foothold in the market.

"Parker has natural skills,” Arum said before the fight. “He’s so big and he punches so hard, and Andy has the fastest hands that I’ve seen on a heavyweight since Muhammad Ali.

"If Parker does defeat Andy Ruiz then we will, together with Duco, perhaps have Parker fight in the United States, then come back here and then fight in China. Believe me, this [is] just the start."

Co-owner of Duco Events, Dean Lonergan, see this as a big opportunity to Oceania fighters on the map.

"We have massive global ambitions for Joseph and for a number of other fighters," said Lonergan. "Just because we come from New Zealand doesn’t mean to say that we can’t do it overseas. In fact, it encourages us to go overseas because our market is so small."

The deal with Duco Events will hand over USA and China promotional rights to Top Rank, with Duco Evets retaining the Oceania promotions and TV rights. On paper, at least, this means exposure not only for Parker in the biggest boxing market in the world, but also for his Duco stablemates like Jeff Horn, Shannon O’Connell, et al.

The big name being bandied about for Horn is reigning WBO welterweight champion and Filipino superstar senator Manny Pacquaio. The likelihood of this fight actually taking place would seem low on paper, with Horn’s almost non-existent profile in the States all but nixing the bout. However, Arum was adamant that a Pacquaio fight was a very real possibility for the former Brisbane schoolteacher.

“The truth is that back in the States where a Pacquiao fight will have to happen, Jeff Horn is not well

known,” conceded Arum. “Only boxing people know him.”

There was also talk of Horn facing either Timothy Bradley 33-2-1-1NC (13) or Jessie Vargas 27-2 (10) in the USA next year, both of whom are former WBO 147-pound titleholders and box under the Top Rank banner.

“That fight (Vargas or Bradley) I would like to see happen in the first three months of the year so that if Horn is successful, we can build for a fight with Pacquiao late in the year, because Manny told me he was fighting twice in 2017 and then he will hang up his gloves,” said Arum.

Another boxer in the frame is Shannon O’Connell, who revealed on her Facebook page that Arum is looking to capitalize on her Irish surname for a St Patrick’s Day clash in New York next year.

Of course, no-one needs reminding that Arum’s most famous quote is “Yesterday I was lying, but today I’m telling the truth”. But we here at Maxboxing are eternal optimists. We hope for the best and plan for the worst.

FINAL WORD ON PARKER VS RUIZ

The Parker vs Ruiz fight has already been analysed to death, so this column will simply say this: when you fight in your opponent’s backyard, you start a round or two behind. And in a close fight, that matters.

Every boxer fighting abroad should remember that.

HORN, O’CONNELL AND DOGBOE SHINE ON UNDERCARD

Perhaps lost in hashing and rehashing of the main event was WBO #2 Jeff “The Hornet” Horn’s impressive performance against former three-time world title challenger Ali Funeka 39-6-3 (31) from South Africa, dropping him twice and stopping him by TKO in the sixth.

Sure, Funeka had seen better days and was two weight divisions removed from his prime. But the lanky 6-foot-1 boxer-puncher came to fight and wasn’t going to let Horn have it all his own way.

“It was a tough fight because he was so awkward and tall,” said Horn, who was at a four-inch height disadvantage against WBO #8 Funeka. “It was a new challenge with his height and the experience.”

After boxing his way to a lead in the first two rounds, the 28-year-old Australian was on the receiving end of a head clash combined with a body shot that dropped him right at the bell to end the third round and Canadian referee Marlon Wright applied a count. Another headclash in the fourth opened up a cut over Funeka’s left eye and suddenly the fight hung in the balance if it was stopped early due to the cut.

The Hornet knew what was on the line and threw caution to the wind, tagging Funeka repeatedly with both hands and in the fifth dropped him two minutes into the round with a crushing right hand. He worked desperately to end proceedings before the bell but the rugged South African somehow survived to wobble back to his corner at the end of the round.

But the one minute rest break wasn’t long enough for Funeka to recover and Horn went straight back to work where he left off when they came out for the sixth. Accurate lefts and rights rained down on Funeka’s head and with him reeling across the ring on the verge of going down again, referee Wright waved off the contest at 0:30 of the round.

It was only the second time the 38-year-old Funeka had been stopped in his 48-fight professional career.

With the win, Horn, 16-0-1 (11), will likely be elevated to the number one position in the WBO rankings behind reigning titleholder Manny Pacquiao.

“I could be fighting Manny Pacquaio or Tim Bradley in my next fight, who knows,” said Horn. “I’m ready for any of them.”

In an entertaining, fast-paced bout “Shotgun” Shannon O’Connell 15-4-1 (7) from Slacks Creek, Queensland, showed her class outworking Laura Griffa 13-1 (1) over 10 two-minute rounds. The 33-year-old Australian mother of two was grateful to be back in the ring and showed her pleasure by bringing the heat to the previously undefeated Argentine from Buenos Aires.

“I’ve had so much support so thank you to everyone for getting behind me,” said O’Connell after the fight. “My two kids have had to put up with the brunt of my moods while I’ve been in training but I’ll be nice to them when I get home.”

Scores at the conclusion were 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.

WBO #8 122-pounder Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe 16-0 (10) from Accra, Ghana was impressive in stopping WBO #9 Julian Aristule 32-7 (16) in the 7th round on a scheduled 10.

Once the 22-year-old London Olympian figured out his more experienced opponent’s tricky southpaw style it was only a matter of time before the fight was stopped. Dogboe, who is managed by Mike Altamura of MJA, increased the tempo as the fight went on and by the seventh round the 33-year-old Argentine was wilting under the pressure. Two trips to the canvas prompted Aristule’s corner to wave the towel and the fight was stopped at the 1:15 mark.

The win earns Dogboe both the WBO International super bantamweight title and the WBO Latino super bantamweight title.