Ben Shalom: Offer is in for Joe Joyce to fight Joseph Parker, we want to work with other promoters

When Joseph Parker signed with Boxxer and Sky Sports about a month ago, it seemed to end any chance of him getting a date for a fight with Joe Joyce, which had previously been advertised by Frank Warren for a BT Sport event.

But Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom is hoping the fight can still get done.

Shalom denies that Parker has intended “avoid” Joyce by signing with Boxxer, and says he has put in a “huge” offer with Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren for them to fight this fall. Shalom also notes that Boxxer and Sky Sports are not looking to avoid working with other promoters, noting the multiple promoters participating in their big Sept. 10 card.

From Sky Sports:

“Look at Joseph Parker’s resume, he’s never avoided a fight in his life. Joseph asked us to put in that offer, we put in that offer, it’s a huge amount of money. It’s a huge opportunity for [Joyce] as well, we feel. No disrespect to Frank. We want to work with other promoters. Shields-Marshall doesn’t get made unless we work with other promoters. Mayer-Baumgardner, our chief support — Top Rank and Matchroom are involved in that on our card. So that’s a direction we’d like to go in.”

It’s an encouraging statement from Shalom, and one that would serve fight fans and all promoters better if it were the normal way of the boxing world, but we know very well that it really isn’t, and every time it seems like that may be changing, the change doesn’t tend to stick long.

Two things to consider, both important:

• Warren’s Queensberry really have very few “marquee” main event attractions for their deal with BT Sport. Joyce is one of them. Sky Sports and BT Sport are competitor platforms. This does matter. Not saying a deal can’t be reached to satisfy the parties, but it is a stop sign on the journey.
• Joyce vs Parker was meant to happen this month, didn’t, and Parker signing with Boxxer seemed to end the chance. The chance for it to get made as Shalom is suggesting would require Warren and Joyce to essentially “give in” to letting Shalom and Parker dictate the event. Even if the money really is good and the opportunity great, that might be a tough pill to swallow. Egos can dictate plenty in the boxing world.

For the moment, Warren plans to have Joyce return on Sept. 24, and Shalom says he wants Parker out in late September or early October. It lines up to what everyone is thinking. Whether it lines up in the other important ways remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t hold my breath here.

On the Parker side, Shalom says they’re also “looking at” Otto Wallin, Dillian Whyte, and Martin Bakole, all of whom would be solid opponents at worst.