10-31-2017, 10:38 PM
Joseph Parker 'won't shy away' from fighting Anthony Joshua - if the money's right
Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker are on a heavyweight boxing title fight collision course.
Joseph Parker is prepared to fight Anthony Joshua next to unify the WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight belts.
Parker's promoter David Higgins made that clear as the boxing world digested Joshua's 10th round stoppage of Carlos Takam in Cardiff last weekend.
Higgins' one condition remains a "substantial" increase in the split of the purse previously suggested by Joshua's boss Eddie Hearn who has intimated an 80-20 cut in the big Brit's favour.
WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker is about to start an Auckland training camp with coach Kevin Barry.
After getting past the durable Takam, Hearn and Joshua targeted WBO champion Parker, WBC champion Deontay Wilder and sidelined star Tyson Fury as the fights they would chase in 2018. And they have a February 3 slot vacant at the moment.
Parker is about to go into a six-week training camp in Auckland ahead of charting his own course over the early part of next year. But Higgins said they would change plans to fight Joshua in an instant, if the financials stacked up.
"We've got various options and we are really close to one in particular, rather than Joshua," Higgins told Stuff on Tuesday.
"But we would fight Joshua next if the money is right.
David Higgins, promoter for WBO world champion Joseph Parker, believes his fighter has more value than British promoter Eddie Hearn is offering.
"We're not at all worried about Joshua as a competitive threat. It would be a close fight but we won't shy away from it. It's a fight that Joseph would take and I'm sure his trainer [Kevin Barry] isn't worried about. But the money has to be right."
Higgins feels Hearn isn't showing the appropriate respect to Parker.
"It's disrespectful for the fact that Joseph has earned one of the credible heavyweight belts. So has Joshua, so it should be much closer to 50-50 than what was put on the table."
Anthony Joshua has the bulk of the heavyweight hardware on offer but wants Joseph Parker's WBO belt.
And while Joshua showed his star-power by drawing more than 70,000 to Cardiff's Millenium Stadium, his performance against Takam didn't always match the occasion.
"No one in our camp was shaking in their boots," Higgins said as they digested Joshua's win, suggesting the 'low-ball offers" from Hearn could be a way of keeping Parker at bay strategically.
Since Sunday, there have been strong suggestions from Joshua's team that they want to fight Parker first to build a bigger fight with Wilder, the unbeaten American.
"I think they will be worried about both," countered Higgins. "Wilder is tricky and Joseph has got a better chin than Joshua."
But the latest theory from Joshua as he was helicoptered back to London on Tuesday (NZT) was that he would get a mandatory defence of his WBA belt out of the way before looking to unify against Parker.
The WBA scenario is clouded by the drugs cloud hanging over Luis Ortiz. The WBA are having their annual conference in Colombia at the moment and there is talk of them ordering an elimination fight between Alexander Povetkin and Christian Hammer, with the winner getting the mandatory challenge with Joshua.
"Eddie is talking about all sorts of different things at the same time. It's all gamesmanship. Eddie will look at the best risk-return I'd say," Higgins said.
"If he is dead serious, he will give me a call or an email and we will start negotiations."
- Stuff
Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker are on a heavyweight boxing title fight collision course.
Joseph Parker is prepared to fight Anthony Joshua next to unify the WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight belts.
Parker's promoter David Higgins made that clear as the boxing world digested Joshua's 10th round stoppage of Carlos Takam in Cardiff last weekend.
Higgins' one condition remains a "substantial" increase in the split of the purse previously suggested by Joshua's boss Eddie Hearn who has intimated an 80-20 cut in the big Brit's favour.
WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker is about to start an Auckland training camp with coach Kevin Barry.
After getting past the durable Takam, Hearn and Joshua targeted WBO champion Parker, WBC champion Deontay Wilder and sidelined star Tyson Fury as the fights they would chase in 2018. And they have a February 3 slot vacant at the moment.
Parker is about to go into a six-week training camp in Auckland ahead of charting his own course over the early part of next year. But Higgins said they would change plans to fight Joshua in an instant, if the financials stacked up.
"We've got various options and we are really close to one in particular, rather than Joshua," Higgins told Stuff on Tuesday.
"But we would fight Joshua next if the money is right.
David Higgins, promoter for WBO world champion Joseph Parker, believes his fighter has more value than British promoter Eddie Hearn is offering.
"We're not at all worried about Joshua as a competitive threat. It would be a close fight but we won't shy away from it. It's a fight that Joseph would take and I'm sure his trainer [Kevin Barry] isn't worried about. But the money has to be right."
Higgins feels Hearn isn't showing the appropriate respect to Parker.
"It's disrespectful for the fact that Joseph has earned one of the credible heavyweight belts. So has Joshua, so it should be much closer to 50-50 than what was put on the table."
Anthony Joshua has the bulk of the heavyweight hardware on offer but wants Joseph Parker's WBO belt.
And while Joshua showed his star-power by drawing more than 70,000 to Cardiff's Millenium Stadium, his performance against Takam didn't always match the occasion.
"No one in our camp was shaking in their boots," Higgins said as they digested Joshua's win, suggesting the 'low-ball offers" from Hearn could be a way of keeping Parker at bay strategically.
Since Sunday, there have been strong suggestions from Joshua's team that they want to fight Parker first to build a bigger fight with Wilder, the unbeaten American.
"I think they will be worried about both," countered Higgins. "Wilder is tricky and Joseph has got a better chin than Joshua."
But the latest theory from Joshua as he was helicoptered back to London on Tuesday (NZT) was that he would get a mandatory defence of his WBA belt out of the way before looking to unify against Parker.
The WBA scenario is clouded by the drugs cloud hanging over Luis Ortiz. The WBA are having their annual conference in Colombia at the moment and there is talk of them ordering an elimination fight between Alexander Povetkin and Christian Hammer, with the winner getting the mandatory challenge with Joshua.
"Eddie is talking about all sorts of different things at the same time. It's all gamesmanship. Eddie will look at the best risk-return I'd say," Higgins said.
"If he is dead serious, he will give me a call or an email and we will start negotiations."
- Stuff