By Keith Idec
Promoter Bob Arum told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that a deal is near completion for heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker to meet March 31 in Cardiff, Wales.
Negotiations for their title unification fight have been ongoing for more than a month because Parker’s representatives have been holding out for more money. Arum, whose company co-promotes Parker, said the two sides are “very, very close” to finalizing a deal.
Arum indicated that Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, is inching closer to meeting the 65-35 purse split sought by David Higgins, Parker’s other co-promoter.
“It seems to me, with a little tugging and so forth,” Arum said, “they can do two-thirds and one-third, and that’s what I think is going to happen.”
If it is finalized, England’s Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs), the IBF/IBO/WBA heavyweight champion, and New Zealand’s Parker (24-0, 18 KOs), the WBO champion, would fight at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. That’s where Joshua, 28, stopped Cameroon’s Carlos Takam (35-4-1, 27 KOs) in the 10th round October 28, when a capacity crowd of 78,000 packed that venue.
Like Joshua-Takam, Showtime would televise Joshua-Parker, according to Arum.
Parker, 25, most recently edged England’s Hughie Fury (20-1, 10 KOs) by majority decision in their 12-rounder September 23 in Manchester, England.
Joshua would be heavily favored to top Parker, but Arum considers his fighter a live underdog.
“I give Parker a shot with Joshua,” Arum said. “Joshua doesn’t have a chin, man. Parker, you can hit him with a baseball bat and nothing happens.
“Now, I don’t say Parker is the second coming of Vasyl Lomachenko, but he has a really good chin. He’s a tough guy, and he hits OK. Joshua’s been hurt in a lot of fights. I don’t demean him, but Parker has a hell of a chance.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
