Hughie Fury
The younger Fury fighter pulls out of his first world title shot. Getty

Hughie Fury has been forced to pull out of his world heavyweight title fight against Joseph Parker next month due to injury.

Hughie, younger cousin of former world champion Tyson Fury, had been scheduled to challenge Parker for his WBO crown in Auckland, New Zealand on 6 May.

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That fight is now off the table however with work underway to find a replacement for the undefeated 22-year-old.

Speaking to New Zealand's Stuff, Parker's promoters took aim at the Fury camp and appeared to cast doubt over the nature of the injury.

"I spoke to the WBO president a minute ago he said the Furys are claiming to have an injury and therefore we can fight whoever we want when we want as a voluntary defence out of the top 15," Duco co-owner David Higgins said.

"I know exactly what it is [Fury's injury]; their moral compass has broken in half – a nasty fracture of the moral compass. It's not just Hughie, the whole camp has.

"That's boxing. Sometimes this sort of thing goes on. They didn't appear to want to come to New Zealand."

Peter Fury, Hughie's father and trainer has told World Boxing News they are hoping to have the fight rescheduled for later his year. But with the WBO having already given Parker's camp permission to find a replacement for May, Higgins says there are under no obligation to hang around.

The WBO clearly gave us permission to take a voluntary defence and that's what we are going to do," Higgins said. "The wranglings of the Furys have cost us a lot of time and money so we're going to take a voluntary. If the Furys provide a medical certificate that is sound then I'll apologise for being suspicious, but that doesn't change that fact it's been very difficult and we would not be in a hurry to work with them again."

Fury has recorded 20 wins from 20 fights, 10 of those coming via knockout, since making his professional debut in 2013. Parker, 25, became New Zealand's first ever world champion in boxing thanks to his points victory over Andy Ruiz last December.