By Ryan Burton

WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-0) has advised BoxingScene.com that he will be leaving on Friday for the United Kingdom for his March 31st unification showdown against WBA/IBF/IBO champion Anthony Joshua (20-0).  The plan is to spend a week in England before heading for Cardiff for fight week.

The fight takes place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff and will be broadcast by Sky Sports pay-per-view in the UK and by Showtime in the United States.

"It has been a good camp. Actually it has been a great camp. I feel fit. I feel well. We will go to the UK for two weeks to get acclimated to the climate and to get used to the time change and get prepared for the fight," said Parker.

The 26-year-old Parker is no stranger to fighting in the UK.  He traveled to Manchester last September when he outpointed the then unbeaten Hughie Fury who was his mandatory challenger. He said that his team plans on following the same formula they used for that fight to help get adjusted to being in the United Kingdom.

"I think two weeks before is a good time for us. We have done it before and it works for us. It is enough time for us to get used to the time change and the weather and just being there. There are going to be a lot of things to do there like media. There are a few commitments but we are going to stay focused on the fight," Parker told BoxingScene.com.

Parker captured his world title in December, 2016 when defeated Andy Ruiz via majority decision in his native New Zealand. He followed that up by going 2-0 in 2017, defeating Razvan Cojanu and Fury - both by decision.

Joshua won his first title in 2016 when he blew out Charles Martin in two rounds to take his IBF belt.  He added the WBA and IBO titles last April when got off the canvas to stop Wladimir Klitschko in 11 rounds at Wembley Stadium.

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