Friday 21 October 2016 09:54, UK
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.
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.
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."
