01-11-2015, 12:49 PM
Clash of young titans Joseph Parker and Anthony Joshua looms large
FACE OFF: American Jason Pettaway is the next stepping stone in Parker's budding career.
Joseph Parker is on a collision course with Britain's best prospect since Lennox Lewis.
Although Jason Pettaway is the next stepping stone in Parker's budding career, it's pretty clear that all paths lead to Anthony Joshua.
Pettaway - an agile, counterpunching American - was hand-picked to provide a new test for Parker, but the Kiwi is expected to navigate past him with ease in March.
![[Image: 1420860898628.jpg]](http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/l/k/b/m/image.related.StuffPortrait.238x286.12ljdt.png/1420860898628.jpg)
Getty Images
RISING STAR: Britain's Anthony Joshua was a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games and helped Wladimir Klitschko prepare for his latest world title defence.
Then, you can be sure that chatter about a potential clash between Parker and Joshua will grow over the next two years.
Fight by fight in opposing hemispheres, Parker (12-0) and Joshua (10-0) are building their profiles.
Both are improving their skill sets, learning to cope with hype, pressure and expectations, grafting in the gym and knocking over opponents to craft the now-customary paper record that enhances credentials for a title shot and a life-changing payday.
Provided both keep winning, when the price and prize are eventually right, they are destined to meet. And by that point, the rewards could be sizeable.
Parker and Joshua, a strong, aggressive fighter born to Nigerian parents who has won all 10 fights inside three rounds, first met outside the ring at the amateur world games.
And they're likely to run into each other again when they're scheduled to attend world champion Wladimir Klitschko's next training camp in late March.
Joshua, a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, helped Klitschko prepare for his latest defence against Kubrat Pulev in November and the 25-year-old is expected to accept a second invitation.
Parker, on the other hand, will make his first appearance in the Klitschko camp after taking on Pettaway.
While being one of Klitschko's six sparring partners is valuable experience, so too is the chance for both fighters to assess each other in the flesh.
"We won't be working with Joshua, but both of us being there at the same time will definitely make things interesting," Parker's trainer, Kevin Barry, said.
"If both guys continue along the same developmental path, then it's inevitable that it's going to be a huge fight in the years to come. We're watching Joshua, and he's watching Joe.
"He's the most exciting fighter to come out of the UK since Lennox Lewis, and we all know how good he was. He went undefeated for seven years.
"It's exciting that people have us on a crash course. It'll bring a lot of interest and dialogue over this year. The more they progress and win, the more there will be talk about Parker and Joshua."
With five fights again pencilled in this year, 2015 has been dubbed "moving season" for Parker.
The plan for the 22-year-old South Auckland fighter includes a potential bout against a "genuine giant" and to gain inroads in the WBC - the only belt of five sanctioning bodies that Klitschko doesn't hold.
Both Parker and Joshua, who is already ranked eighth by the WBC, are chasing current Canadian champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1), who defends his title against undefeated American Deontay Wilder (32-0) in Las Vegas next week.
"With the WBC, we're trying to get in there as well," Parker said. "Bermane Stiverne has that belt. With Klitschko dominating all the other sanctioning bodies right now, it's going to be hard to go that way.
"We see the WBC as a better way, and [Joshua's camp] see it as a better way for them, too. We might meet up somewhere before trying to get the title."
- Sunday News
FACE OFF: American Jason Pettaway is the next stepping stone in Parker's budding career.
Joseph Parker is on a collision course with Britain's best prospect since Lennox Lewis.
Although Jason Pettaway is the next stepping stone in Parker's budding career, it's pretty clear that all paths lead to Anthony Joshua.
Pettaway - an agile, counterpunching American - was hand-picked to provide a new test for Parker, but the Kiwi is expected to navigate past him with ease in March.
Getty ImagesRISING STAR: Britain's Anthony Joshua was a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games and helped Wladimir Klitschko prepare for his latest world title defence.
Then, you can be sure that chatter about a potential clash between Parker and Joshua will grow over the next two years.
Fight by fight in opposing hemispheres, Parker (12-0) and Joshua (10-0) are building their profiles.
Both are improving their skill sets, learning to cope with hype, pressure and expectations, grafting in the gym and knocking over opponents to craft the now-customary paper record that enhances credentials for a title shot and a life-changing payday.
Provided both keep winning, when the price and prize are eventually right, they are destined to meet. And by that point, the rewards could be sizeable.
Parker and Joshua, a strong, aggressive fighter born to Nigerian parents who has won all 10 fights inside three rounds, first met outside the ring at the amateur world games.
And they're likely to run into each other again when they're scheduled to attend world champion Wladimir Klitschko's next training camp in late March.
Joshua, a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, helped Klitschko prepare for his latest defence against Kubrat Pulev in November and the 25-year-old is expected to accept a second invitation.
Parker, on the other hand, will make his first appearance in the Klitschko camp after taking on Pettaway.
While being one of Klitschko's six sparring partners is valuable experience, so too is the chance for both fighters to assess each other in the flesh.
"We won't be working with Joshua, but both of us being there at the same time will definitely make things interesting," Parker's trainer, Kevin Barry, said.
"If both guys continue along the same developmental path, then it's inevitable that it's going to be a huge fight in the years to come. We're watching Joshua, and he's watching Joe.
"He's the most exciting fighter to come out of the UK since Lennox Lewis, and we all know how good he was. He went undefeated for seven years.
"It's exciting that people have us on a crash course. It'll bring a lot of interest and dialogue over this year. The more they progress and win, the more there will be talk about Parker and Joshua."
With five fights again pencilled in this year, 2015 has been dubbed "moving season" for Parker.
The plan for the 22-year-old South Auckland fighter includes a potential bout against a "genuine giant" and to gain inroads in the WBC - the only belt of five sanctioning bodies that Klitschko doesn't hold.
Both Parker and Joshua, who is already ranked eighth by the WBC, are chasing current Canadian champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1), who defends his title against undefeated American Deontay Wilder (32-0) in Las Vegas next week.
"With the WBC, we're trying to get in there as well," Parker said. "Bermane Stiverne has that belt. With Klitschko dominating all the other sanctioning bodies right now, it's going to be hard to go that way.
"We see the WBC as a better way, and [Joshua's camp] see it as a better way for them, too. We might meet up somewhere before trying to get the title."
- Sunday News