WBO heavyweight titlist Joseph Parker could fight Anthony Joshua, the unified WBA and IBF champion, next, possibly in March or April 2018.
“I want to fight Joshua, he’s got a few belts, I have one belt. I want to test his chin,” Parker said.
Parker’s promoter David Higgins has opened the conversation with Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, and sounds encouraged. “It’s really down to the deal and money,” Higgins said. “Joseph Parker’s never been off his feet as an amateur or a professional or in sparring.
“We back ourselves against Joshua.”
He wants to make the fight, maintaining, “When there’s an undisputed champion public interest in the sport soars because there’s no argument about who is the top boxer in the world and so it captures world wide public imagination.”
But it will happen “only if the money’s right”.
“If we feel it disrespects us and isn’t fair value we will go in another direction,” Higgins continued. “The fans are always going to want to see that fight. It might happen in the second quarter [of 2018] or maybe it happens in another year.”
Parker’s team outlined his other options. In principle they have actually agreed broad terms for fighting Australia’s Lucas Browne next.
There is also hefty financial backing for Parker to travel to China and fight Olympic silver medallist Zhang Zhilei in the second quarter of 2018. He could also box American Bryant Jennings on a Top Rank bill, potentially on March 10 in Las Vegas to be broadcast on ESPN.
