By Keith Idec

The best British heavyweight in boxing doesn’t expect one of his countrymen to join him as a recognized champion Saturday night.

Anthony Joshua told London’s Daily Mirror that he thinks Joseph Parker will beat Hughie Fury in a mandatory defense of Parker’s WBO heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, England, Fury’s hometown.

Their fight, in which Parker is a slight favorite, was postponed four months because Fury reportedly suffered a back injury about a week before they were supposed to square off May 6 in Auckland, New Zealand, Parker’s hometown.

“Parker is quite strong” Joshua said. “Hughie can out-box Parker, but I’m not sure for how long. So maybe we’ll see Parker win with a late-round stoppage.”

The 6-feet-6, 250-pound Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs), the IBF, IBO and WBA heavyweight champion, hopes Parker defeats Fury (20-0, 10 KOs) because he wants to face Parker (23-0, 18 KOs) in a partial title unification fight early next year. For that to happen, the knockout artist from Watford, England, would also have to beat Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev (25-0, 13 KOs) in a mandatory fight for his IBF title October 28 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

“I’ll box Parker in the future, but I’m not sure about Hughie,” Joshua said. “I spoke to him a few times a few years ago, but it never happened.

“I’m not too sure what route Hughie will take. Although I was supposed to fight Pulev a few years back and it never happened. So you never know. But Parker, I can be sure it has to happen. We have to come together to keep the division alive.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.