As BoxingScene.com reported earlier, a deal is nearly complete for IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) to collide in the ring with WBO world champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) in the early part of 2018.

The two sides have finally reached an agreement on the financial split after weeks of negotiations.

They were stuck at 65-35 in Joshua's favor for several weeks. Parker will now earn somewhere between 30-35% of the revenue split and he's reportedly going to earn around $12 million for the fight.

Next week, Parker's promoter David Higgins will fly to London to sit down with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, to put the finishing touches on the agreement.

The exact date has yet to be set, but it will take place on UK soil on a date in late March or early April. The date of March 31 is said to be the frontrunner.

Higgins will be pushed for neutral officials in the contest.

"The where and when is still up in the air. It will take a couple more weeks of groundwork to sort that," Higgins said to the New Zealand Herald. "We are still pushing for neutral officials ... and I'd say Eddie would be agreeable to that.

"The gloves and ring size are still yet to be agreed on. We are working every day on the deal and I hope to board a flight next week to finalise it."

Higgins revealed that he hired Wladimir Klitschko's lawyer to help map out a deal that is similar to the one Klitschko received for facing Joshua back in April, when the British boxer secured an exciting eleventh round stoppage before a crowd of 90,000 at Wembley.

According to Higgins, Hearn made a very big mistake in agreeing to this fight, because Joshua's reign will come to a brutal end.

Both Higgins and Parker are convinced that Joshua has a very suspect chin that is there to be exposed.

"Hearn has made a grave mistake in agreeing to this fight," Higgins said, "because Joe is about to slaughter his glass goose. It is a very exciting time for Joe's fans, especially his supporters in New Zealand and Samoa."