09-26-2016, 04:08 PM
Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn reiterates Joseph Parker as best option for next IBF heavyweight world title defence
Anthony Joshua's promoter has reiterated a preference for Joseph Parker to take the next IBF title shot as the top of world heavyweight scene gets increasingly crowded.
Joshua will defend his belt in Manchester on November 26 with his boss Eddie Hearn set to announce the big Brit's opponent on Tuesday (NZ time), though a delay wouldn't surprise.
The postponement of the Tyson Fury versus Wladimir Klitschko rematch for the WBA and WBO belts has raised possibilities with talk of champion Fury being stripped as his frustrating inactivity is prolonged.
Fury's camp are set to release details of his illness, reported to be mental issues, this week.
READ MORE:
* 'Medically unfit' Fury pulls out of Klitschko rematch
* Klitschko: 'Screw it' - revenge cancelled
* Klitschko could take Parker's fight v Joshua
Hearn had raised the possibility of a Joshua v Klitschko fight but doesn't believe the dust will settle enough for that to happen in November.
Stalled pay negotiations with Bulgaria's Kubrat Pulev mean that Parker is Hearn's easiest alternative through his mandatory challenger's rights.
Clearing Joshua of the mandatory now allows Hearn to fulfil his Manchester obligation and raise the prospect of a clear 2017 for him to think bigger things, either via Fury or Klitschko.
That's providing Joshua can get past Parker.
"My gut feeling it (Joshua v Klitschko) will happen in spring/summer of next year and we'll fight Joseph Parker on November 26, get the mandatory out the way," Hearn told Boxing News on Monday (NZ time).
"Also some people say well Joseph Parker might be just as tough a fight as Wladimir Klitschko.
"You don't know what he's got left. Klitschko looked awful in his last fight. Was that because Fury was brilliant or is it because he's finished? Both I think. I think he's done. But he's still very good. It's not really the power, the strength, it's just the experience. That's the only worrying thing for me for Joshua in that fight."
Parker, of course, has a significant hurdle in front of him this Saturday in the form of 2.01m Russian Alexander Dimitrenko.
Lose that and all this speculation and title talk flies out the window.
Hearn might be sweating on Parker's Saturday result as much as the Kiwis' management, Duco Events.
They have had ongoing discussions with Hearn though nothing specific about a title fight or an appearance on the undercard against Britain's David Price.
For now, the task is to work away in the background and allow Parker to focus everything on Dimitrenko because of the risks involved.
- Stuff
Anthony Joshua's promoter has reiterated a preference for Joseph Parker to take the next IBF title shot as the top of world heavyweight scene gets increasingly crowded.
Joshua will defend his belt in Manchester on November 26 with his boss Eddie Hearn set to announce the big Brit's opponent on Tuesday (NZ time), though a delay wouldn't surprise.
The postponement of the Tyson Fury versus Wladimir Klitschko rematch for the WBA and WBO belts has raised possibilities with talk of champion Fury being stripped as his frustrating inactivity is prolonged.
Fury's camp are set to release details of his illness, reported to be mental issues, this week.
READ MORE:
* 'Medically unfit' Fury pulls out of Klitschko rematch
* Klitschko: 'Screw it' - revenge cancelled
* Klitschko could take Parker's fight v Joshua
Hearn had raised the possibility of a Joshua v Klitschko fight but doesn't believe the dust will settle enough for that to happen in November.
Stalled pay negotiations with Bulgaria's Kubrat Pulev mean that Parker is Hearn's easiest alternative through his mandatory challenger's rights.
Clearing Joshua of the mandatory now allows Hearn to fulfil his Manchester obligation and raise the prospect of a clear 2017 for him to think bigger things, either via Fury or Klitschko.
That's providing Joshua can get past Parker.
"My gut feeling it (Joshua v Klitschko) will happen in spring/summer of next year and we'll fight Joseph Parker on November 26, get the mandatory out the way," Hearn told Boxing News on Monday (NZ time).
"Also some people say well Joseph Parker might be just as tough a fight as Wladimir Klitschko.
"You don't know what he's got left. Klitschko looked awful in his last fight. Was that because Fury was brilliant or is it because he's finished? Both I think. I think he's done. But he's still very good. It's not really the power, the strength, it's just the experience. That's the only worrying thing for me for Joshua in that fight."
Parker, of course, has a significant hurdle in front of him this Saturday in the form of 2.01m Russian Alexander Dimitrenko.
Lose that and all this speculation and title talk flies out the window.
Hearn might be sweating on Parker's Saturday result as much as the Kiwis' management, Duco Events.
They have had ongoing discussions with Hearn though nothing specific about a title fight or an appearance on the undercard against Britain's David Price.
For now, the task is to work away in the background and allow Parker to focus everything on Dimitrenko because of the risks involved.
- Stuff