The government may help fund Joseph Parker's world boxing title challenge to be held in Auckland in December.
Joseph Parker. Photo: Photosport
Parker's promoter Dean Lonergan has asked the government to help pay the bill for hosting the event.
Lonergan is reported as saying the bout may need seven-figure contributions from sponsors and the government if the fight for the WBO world heavyweight title was to go ahead.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce said the government received an application for funding yesterday.
He said the application was being assessed and the government did not have a view on it yet.
"There's a number of criteria for the fund and one of them would be 'is this an event that would occur anyway," he said.
"But there's a number of other criteria around - the leverage opportunities for New Zealand, things like television coverage, all those sorts of things."
Steven Joyce said it was too early to say how much money the government might put in, but it would be the minimum required to secure the event.