By Keith Idec
Joseph Parker is impressed with the fact that Anthony Joshua has knocked out every opponent he has fought since he turned pro four years ago.
Parker knows he can punch as well, though, and considers Joshua’s suspect chin a weakness he can exploit if they can come to terms for a heavyweight title unification fight. If New Zealand’s Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) gets the chance to battle the British superstar, he is certain he can knock him out.
“It’s a good fight,” Parker told London’s Daily Mail for a story that appeared on its website Friday. “We’re both going to throw a lot of punches, a lot of bombs. I back myself and I feel I can knock him out.”
The 25-year-old Parker pointed to his own reliable chin as one of the foremost reasons for his confidence.
He also watched Wladimir Klitschko drop Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) in the sixth round of their epic clash April 29 at London’s Wembley Stadium. Ukraine’s Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs) failed to finish off his younger opponent that night and lost by 11th-round technical knockout.
“I feel I have a good chin and he has been dropped a few times,” said Parker, who also noted that he is being “overlooked” and “underestimated” by Joshua and others. “I’m not saying he’s not a good fighter, but he’s been dropped, so I think there is a bit of weakness I can get on top of and I feel I can KO him.”
Parker hopes to face Joshua in April or May, but the unbeaten WBO champion also told the Daily Mail that he won’t accept anything less than a 65-35 purse split to make that fight happen.
“There is no real time frame,” Parker said. “We’re open to suggestions from their side. We have a date we want to fight on, but they might have a different date. So it’s about finding some common ground and meeting in the middle.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.