By Norm Frauenheim-

It’s a good time to be a heavyweight. At least, it appears to be. The old flagship division is beginning to resurface with HMS Anthony Joshua’s stunning emergence to UK prominence with numbers impossible to ignore.

No matter how you add them up, Joshua is a force creating worldwide waves of interest in a weight class that just a few years ago looked as if it had sunk into rusting irrelevancy, a relic beyond restoration

If expectations for Joshua’s March 31 bout against Joseph Parker on March 31 in Cardiff, Wales are accurate – and there’s every reason to think they are, Joshua will have fought in front of nearly 250,000 fans over his last three bouts. According to various reports, he will have earned $65 million.

That’s not a relic. That’s relevancy.

Evident momentum suggests it will continue. The bout against Parker (Showtime 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT) for three key pieces to the heavyweight title represents a significant look at where it is and where it’s going. It isn’t Joshua’s biggest fight. That came in his epic stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko last April at London’s Wembley Stadium.

He turned in a mixed performance in a TKO of Carlos Takam in his subsequent appearance in October. It was forgettable, at least that’s what it will be if Joshua resumes what he believes is another step in his ascendancy to a title that has a nice ring to it. Maybe, the undisputed heavyweight title isn’t exactly what it used to be, but it still represents a crown jewel in sports history.

There’s no secret to how Joshua, the IBF and WBA belt holder, hopes to get there. First, Parker for the WBO title. Then, American Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt in what could Joshua’s first fight in the United States.

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn sounded optimistic about the chances for Wilder-Joshua, saying a couple of days before Oscar Valdez’ bloody victory over Scott Quigg March 10 in Carson, Calif., that he thought it could happen later this year.

In the here-and-now, however, the key is Parker. Victory is a must and prohibitive betting odds say that’s a lock. More important, perhaps, is how he wins. That’s not fair to the likable and durable Parker, of course. But the primary questions before opening bell March 31 are about Wilder and Joshua.

“You’ve got to remember that a lot of that talk about me and Wilder started in 2017 after he beat Bermane Stiverne,” Joshua said this week in a conference call. “But I haven’t spoken much about it. I’ve got great people in my corner that handle the business while I focus on the handling of my boxing technique.

“We reached out to Deontay Wilder’s team before the fight with Joseph Parker was made. And once that fight didn’t happen, I put Wilder aside and focused solely on Parker.

“I’m not the one overlooking Joseph Parker and I’m not the one hooting and hollering about what’s happening next. I’m really focused on Parker because, as you know, if I don’t get past Parker, it slows down the train and derails everything we’re trying to achieve in terms of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

Can Parker surprise? Impossible to say. He’s durable, likable for his forthright manner and has a compelling story. He’s from New Zealand, a Kiwi born in Auckland to Samoan parents. He’s known as Parker to fight fans and Lupesoliai La’auliolemalietoa to the people in his parents’ home village, Faleula. He grew up boxing. His father, Dempsey, was named after American heavyweight great Jack Dempsey.

He grew up wanting to be like David Tua, the last good New Zealand heavyweight. But he’s a long way from home. New Zealand is known for the All Blacks, kind of the New York Yankees of worldwide rugby. Parker has a chance to show the Northern Hemisphere that there’s more to boxing in New Zealand than Mike Tyson’s Maori tattoo. But in front of a Joshua crowd that is bigger than some armies, nobody disputes how big that challenge really is.

“As we know, there’s no secret about it,’’ said Parker trainer Kevin Barry, who believes Parker is more mobile and quicker than Joshua. “This is the biggest test that Joe’s had in front of him. But I also believe that this is the biggest test that Anthony Joshua’s had in front of him. We are expecting a much better Anthony Joshua than the one that fought Klitschko.

“I think there’s a lot of improvement in him just as there’s a lot of improvement in Joe. We’re anticipating that the styles of both these guys are going to make for a real fan-friendly fight and a very exciting fight.”

Among the many unpredictable elements, however, here’s another one: Parker is coming off surgery to both elbows. He quietly underwent the twin procedure in December. He has told New Zealand media that he feels stronger. Surgery restored his power, he and Barry say.

But nobody will really know until opening bell against an emerging heavyweight with power, momentum, the crowd and a plan to go global. Fair or not, Parker just looks like a guy in Joshua’s way.

Question: How have your preparations gone and what are your thoughts in anticipation for the big fight?

Anthony Joshua: “Preparations have gone really well. We’re still in preparation now but so far, so good. I do believe a happy fighter makes a good fighter. For the experience over my last few fights in 11 months have gone 11 rounds, 10 rounds, have been a blessing. I’ve learned about training camp and I’ve learned about myself. It’s the first time I’ve kind of voiced up to my coach man-to-man. I’ve said, ‘Look, this is what I’ve thought was working and this is what I feel isn’t working. Can I have your input and can we make some changes?’ Not in a sense of how he’s training me. Just in terms of schedule and it’s been really good. I’ve had some cruiserweights come in sparring for speed, some big heavy hitters who throw big right hands and left hooks and wait for me to make a mistake. We’ve been sparring 15 rounds. And honestly, I’ve been doing this for 10 years now if I rack up my amateur career and my pro career. And you know the 10,000-hour rule. I’m starting to get confident. I’ve had the ability but I think I’m matched up with my mindset now and I’m feeling really good and confident ahead of March 31.

Q: People in the U.S. are excited about your fight with Parker but there are so many American fans excited about the prospect of a fight between yourself and Wilder. What are your thoughts on that and are you able to tune that out ahead of your fight with Parker on the 31st?

Joshua: “You’ve got to remember that a lot of that talk about me and Wilder started in 2017 after he beat Bermane Stiverne but I haven’t spoken much about it. I’ve got great people in my corner that handle the business while I focus on the handling of my boxing technique. We reached out to Deontay Wilder’s team before the fight with Joseph Parker was made. And once that fight didn’t happen, I put Wilder aside and focused solely on Parker. I’m not the one overlooking Joseph Parker and I’m not the one hooting and hollering about what’s happening next. I’m really focused on Parker because as you know, if I don’t get past Parker, it slows down the train and derails everything we’re trying to achieve in terms of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

Q: Do you allow yourself to think about the prospect of that fight in the event that you win the fight on the 31st?

Joshua: “One-hundred 10 percent. There’s no doubt in my mind that fight will happen. And there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll beat Wilder as well. This is where we’re heading. Fight after fight, my view on it is this…When Wladimir Klitschko was active and his brother relinquished the WBC belt, Wilder won it. If he was so interested in becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, why didn’t he offer to fight Klitschko and say ‘Listen, I’ve got that belt that your brother has had for the last 10 years. Let’s me and you fight now.’ There’s a lot of pressure from fans in America, media and the papers for Wilder to step up and fight. And now we’re here and I’m that champion and I’m definitely looking forward to it. That’s why back-to-back, I’ve been racking up these belts one by one and taking fights. SHOWTIME has been riding with me for six fights, a quarter of my career. And we’re headed towards the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.”

Q: There was a report in the Telegraph (UK) that there’s possibly going to be a meeting between yourself and the people at UFC who are now going to be getting involved in boxing. Can you give me your perspective on you joining their organization and about what they wrote today?

Joshua: “I’m riding with Eddie. He’s backed me from the get-go. And the second thing, I’m a boxer. I’m not into the UFC so I don’t know what their plans are. But every time I’ve been asked about UFC and if I would make that crossover like McGregor did with Mayweather, I’ve said yes.

Q: It wasn’t about Anthony Joshua becoming a mixed martial artist, their intentions are to promote boxing events. Dana White and the UFC view you as someone that any promotional company could build around given your star power.

Joshua: “Oh yeah, a hundred percent. I’m interested because we can all work together. Mine and Eddie’s relationship is a really good working relationship. I’m sure Eddie has an interest in working with Dana White. If it’s good business, it makes sense. I’m not into business. I’m sure Eddie’s not going to say, ‘Dana White, we’re not interested in working with you’ when we don’t know what’s on the table. We’ll listen and a hundred percent, if it makes sense, we’re all in. I’m happy that Dana White is coming into the game and hopefully he can add some excitement, progress forward, make some good money and make some good fights.”

Q: Eddie, do you have any thoughts about the story in the paper today?

Eddie Hearn: “No, I saw it and Gareth [Davies] spoke to me about it today. If Dana White wants to speak to us, obviously Anthony’s with us. We’re willing to talk to anybody and we do great business with everyone. We work with anyone, if the business is right. In the meantime, I’ll sign Conor McGregor and it’ll be fair.”

Q: You weighed 254 pounds for your last fight and there’s been some talk in the media that you’re looking to slim down for this fight. Can you tell us what weight you’re looking to check in at for this fight?

Joshua: “Let’s say 17.5, 17.4 (stone). You’ve got to remember with this weight nonsense, no fighter should go into training camp focusing on their weight. This isn’t Weight Watchers and nobody should focus on their weight as such. But I do feel that your weight has to adapt to the style of fighter you’re facing. With Carlos Takam, he was a shorter fighter. He came in on the inside and ended up head-butting me so I knew I had to kind of be able to lean on Takam and tire him out. I knew he was going to move a lot. This wasn’t going to be a Kubrat Pulev type of fight where I’m going to be jabbing or counter punching. I was going to be sitting on top of Takam and working into the body so the weight played a good role. But now, I’m fighting someone like Parker who’s a lot quicker and moves a lot more. I have to make sure I’m lighter on my feet so I’ve adjusted to the style of fighter I’m fighting. I haven’t adjusted my weight for any other reason than the type of fighter I’m going to be facing.”

Q: Is there any truth to the idea of you being lighter and not carrying around as much muscle could help you in the long run?

Joshua: “I’m 20-0, I’m unified champ, muscle or not, I’m still handling business. I feel like people try to find anything to steer your mind from what’s working. I’m winning, racking up wins and it’s been going well. I wouldn’t focus on anything else than what’s working.”

Q: Do you look at Joseph Parker as the most dangerous challenge in your career thus far?”

Joshua: “No. Wladimir Klitschko.”

Q: How different of a matchup is this to Wladimir?

Joshua: “Wladimir was a phenomenal champion. I just feel people didn’t give him the credit. He doesn’t have a name that a lot of the Western fans can resonate with. It’s not like an Adam Clark. His first language wasn’t English. People didn’t really buy into it. He was dominating. He was a great champion. Ten years on top. Phenomenal. 69 fights and 64 wins. That’s phenomenal. I’m fighting someone that’s 24-0. Everything I learned from that fight was a blessing and it’s led me to being confident ahead of the fight with Joseph Parker. So I’m dealing with a different beast. Parker still poses a threat but doesn’t’ have half the experience that Wladimir had.”

Q: Do you think Parker is the most technical fighter you’ve faced up to this point and if so, why do you think that?

Joshua: “I think it’s because he’s had an extensive amateur career. I do believe the Lomachenkos, Rigondeauxs, Andre Wards have all had great amateur careers which led them on to be phenomenal professionals and Joseph Parker’s had that. I have to give credit where credit is due. But then, so have I and I was always told to leave the amateur’s in the background because the pros are a different game. And now we’re facing each other as professionals. I just think he has that amateur background behind him and he knows how to fight. He’s traveled the world so coming to England is nothing new to him. He’s got that in his locker, which has gotten him this far.”

Q: Looking at your 21st fight, what do you feel at this stage in the game that you need to improve on?

Joshua: “When I look at boxing now, everybody talks about what I need to do to be a great champion and it seems to me that it’s a right hand and a good chin. We might as well go to the night clubs around England and America and just find the biggest and ugliest looking guy and he’ll become heavyweight champion. What I need to do to become a great champion is just work on my all-around game. The fundamentals. We’re talking about balance, footwork and understanding the distance between being in range and out of range. Perfecting your jab. Use your jab 50 times before you throw your right hand. Let’s make sure your right hand is in the right position to defend a left hook in case you get countered. Everything. That’s why I say when I fought Wladimir Klitschko, he had enough time to make mistakes and come back and reign supreme as a champion. So over time, in these types of fights I’ve had early on in my career, I’ve learned what will play massive roles later on when I become one of the dominant fighters in the heavyweight division.”

Q: How do you stay dialed in and not worry about all of the outside noise regarding your career?

Joshua: “Because I know about the history of the sport. I know how easy it is to be forgotten about. I just realize that this is my time and I have to capitalize and maximize and do what’s right for me. This isn’t about being the fan favorite. I’m not here to be pat on the back. I’m here to handle my business in the best way possible and when it’s all said and done be content with the decisions I’ve made.”

Q: How would you assess your performance against Carlos Takam?

Joshua: “I won every round. I got head-butted. I couldn’t breathe through my nose. I realize that Takam was a late step in so I was preparing for someone completely different. So, what I decided to do with Carlos is just go through the motions because I realize 2018 was a massive year in terms of unifying with Joseph Parker and then potentially facing Deontay Wilder providing I win to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. So, my game plan with Takam was don’t be too explosive and don’t take too many risks. Make sure I dominate Takam and I win every round and that’s kind of how things panned out.”

Q: How do you think Joseph looked in his last fight against Hughie Fury?

Joshua: “You’ve got to look at Parker when he boxes on the front and the back foot. There’s two significant changes. When he boxes on the front foot, I think he finds it difficult to land combinations because I just think he struggled a bit against Fury when he was dancing on the edge of the ring. But when he fights people like Takam on his back foot, he’s better. I just think he really struggled with Fury when he was coming forward. I do think he won. I do think Joseph Parker won. We’re both in a position to show how great we are and why we’re real contenders in the division. That’s all it’s about now. March 31.”

Q: Do you feel you’ve gotten the credit that you deserve for fighting Klitschko because of his age?

Joshua: Is Mayweather too old to still fight you think?

Q: They’re the same age, right?

Joshua: Exactly. People still say Mayweather is still young and that he can still compete. The difference is, lighter weights struggle to maintain their finesse because they have to stay on a diet. They starve their body of nutrition. Heavyweights mature later. When Klitschko lost, everyone who knows boxing knew he wasn’t in the right mind frame. When he came to fight me, I just knew. He didn’t say he’s in great shape. He didn’t say he was feeling strong, but he said he’s obsessed. When your mind is right, the body will follow. That win against Klitschko was tough, I didn’t take him to points. I didn’t go there to steal the belt. I took it with both hands and it was a great fight for the history books. I’m not looking for credit, I know what that fight was and what it meant to me.”

Q: [To Hearn] What are your thoughts about Anthony’s focus on Parker with all the talk of Wilder?

Hearn: “We never have to worry about Anthony’s focus. He’s probably the most focused and driven individual you can meet. He knows the challenges and risks in front of him against Joseph Parker. One thing about Anthony is that he’s not real big on hype. We’re not really into storming the ring after fighting. When we got Klitschko in the ring after the fight, we signed a contract a few hours before that was in existence if Anthony won against [Eric] Molina that night. Until that fight is signed, Anthony won’t really get excited about that fight. He’s not really interested in talking about it or hyping it. It’s the biggest fight in world boxing. It’s a fight that’s completely irrelevant if he’s not victorious next Saturday. I don’t think that it’s Deontay Wilder, it’s the other stone that needs to be turned to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. This is Anthony’s 21st fight and effectively his second unification fight. Deontay has had 40 fights. We’re well ahead of schedule. All of these fights will happen and the reality is the one that put pens to paper and that are actually happening.”

Q: How important is it to you to maintain your one-hundred percent KO ratio?

Joshua: “It’s great for the record and promotion. It’s not as important to fulfilling your game plan. Some fighters will be tough and some fighters may not be there to be knocked out. I have to have it in my locker also to be able to go the distance. In terms of promotion and saying I have a hundred percent KO ratio is great. I don’t think there’s any heavyweight in the history of his career that’s been able to have purely knockouts on his record so I don’t expect to be the first one.”

Q: When you saw Wilder fight Ortiz, did you see anything that you didn’t know about him already? Did he impress you or let you down?

Joshua: After 10 years as a professional and 40 fights in, Wilder’s done what he’s supposed to do. He’s supposed to win. He’s supposed to beat someone like Luiz Ortiz. After 10 years of any craft. Let’s say you’re working in sales and you can’t sell a person that Mercedes-Benz or whatever car it is, you’ve got big issues. Wilder’s had that experience to be able to dominate that division. He just did what routinely is supposed to happen and get the win. He struggled a bit, but he got there in the end. That’s all that matters. That’s what shows up in the history books, a W. So, I’m happy for him.”

Q: Can you elaborate on what makes you think Parker is a weird character?

Joshua: “I can’t put my finger on it.”

Hearn: “I think the weird thing was alluding to the fact that he was boding Anthony with criticism and then when we had the press conference he was nice as pie. We expected him to bring that fire to the press conference and maybe he’ll bring it next week. He was kind of one person prior to the fight and then another when we came face-to-face. But we’ll see what happens next week.”

Q: [To Hearn] Is there a rematch clause for this fight and what are the circumstances with that?

Hearn: “The details of the contract are always confidential. When there’s a great fight and the appetite to see it again, generally you’ll get it.”

Hearn (Opening Comments): “It’s a huge event. This is our sixth fight with Anthony Joshua and SHOWTIME. It’s incredible, really that we’ve had that amount of fights. It seems like the Charles Martin fight was just like yesterday. It’s incredible that in 11 months, Anthony Joshua has had three stadium fights. Of course, Wladimir Klitschko, Carlos Takam and now Joseph Parker. There have been 240,000 fans and over 2.5 million UK pay-per-view buys. It’s been an incredible run and an incredible 11 months. And a great March of course for SHOWTIME with a brilliant fight between Wilder and Ortiz and I think this fight has all of the ingredients to be even better than that. It’s a great fight. Two undefeated young heavyweights. Fearless, fast, big punching, great footwork, 24-0 against 20-0. I think it’s the kind of fight that we need in the world of boxing and it’s the first-ever unification fight in Britain between two reigning heavyweight world champions. And the first time in the history of the sport that two heavyweights have fought a unification fight with perfect records. It’s going to be a huge week. We have a huge press conference at SKY next Tuesday, we have a public workout on Wednesday, the weigh-in is a national holiday on a Friday, it’s going to be huge. Seventy-eight thousand people crammed in to Millennium Stadium for this huge unification fight. This is just the beginning for Anthony Joshua. Just another stepping stone to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and we can’t wait. It’s a great fight and we thank SHOWTIME for all their support as ever.”

PARKER CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS:

STEPHEN ESPINOZA (Opening Comments):

“Through the first six months of this year we will be delivering 11 marquee events, which includes matchups of five top-ranked fighters, of which this is one, and two unifications, of course which this is one. In this month of March all four heavyweight world title belts are at stake on SHOWTIME.

“This fight, Joshua vs. Parker, will be the 12th heavyweight fight on SHOWTIME within the last three years. We’re proud to be doing our part to help propel the reinvigoration of the heavyweight division. During those last three years the U.S. audience has gotten to know a little bit about Anthony Joshua and we are very happy to be able to further introduce them to Joseph Parker, the consensus top three heavyweight in the world and WBO Champion making his third defense and his first appearance on SHOWTIME.

“We are thrilled to have this fight; it’s right in our wheelhouse, a highly competitive, highly anticipated matchup of top fighters.”

Joseph Parker: “It’s been a great training camp that we’ve had in Las Vegas and now we’re here in London. We have about a week and a half before the fight and like Kevin mentioned, we hit the ground running. We got some good sessions in. I’m looking forward to fighting an undefeated fighter like Anthony Joshua, who I respect. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to unify the division and unify the belts and the opportunity to put on a great display and make my mark on SHOWTIME. I can’t wait for it. Our team is excited to be here and it’s going to be a great opportunity for us.”

Q: When you watch the struggles Joshua had against Klitschko, what do you take away from that fight?

Parker: “I think being active has worked well for us. I watched that fight. He did really well in terms of coming back and showed a lot of heart to get back up off the canvas and finish off the fight and getting the win. Coming into this fight, we’re young, we’re hungry and I think if we did get him in trouble there’s no waiting for us. We know how to finish off a fight. We know how to put on the pressure and get him out of there. He has strengths and weaknesses like every other fighter has and we’ll come up with a good game plan which I believe in and if I execute, I think we’ll get the victory.”

Kevin Barry: “As we know, there’s no secret about it, this is the biggest test that Joe’s had in front of him. But I also believe that this is the biggest test that Anthony Joshua’s had in front of him. We are expecting a much better Anthony Joshua than the one that fought Klitschko. I think there’s a lot of improvement in him just as there’s a lot of improvement in Joe. We’re anticipating that the styles of both these guys are going to make for a real fan-friendly fight and a very exciting fight.”

Q: There’s so much attention paid to an Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder fight, as if it’s an assumption that he’s going to beat you. Does that bother you?

Parker: “It doesn’t really bother me. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and the fight they want to see. I think what’s important for us is that we focus on what’s in front of us and that’s Anthony Joshua. Our focus is on Anthony Joshua and being in great shape and being healthy. It gives us motivation in training and we know what our focus is. Our focus is Anthony Joshua and putting on the best performance of our lives March 31.”

Q: As a fan of boxing, how good is a match like this for the sport?

Parker: “A match like this is a very big deal. As a fan of boxing and as a fighter, we love to watch the big fights and be involved in the big fights. So we’re pretty happy to be involved in the fight. I think it’s the best time for us to be involved in a big fight like this. Back a few years ago, Kevin said he’s always wanted to fight Anthony Joshua and he said to me, when we do fight this guy, it has to mean something. And it does really mean something this time. We’re both undefeated, we both have titles, we’re both world champions and we both want to unify the division so it’s going to mean a lot and it’s a big occasion.”

Q: A lot of fans don’t know you in the United States, explain to them what you will bring to the table on March 31.

Parker: “The fans haven’t really seen the best Joseph Parker there is. Going into this fight, we’ve worked on a lot of things. Like I said, I trust in my whole team. I trust in my coach and the game plan. I’m going to bring a lot of movement, speed and power and a lot of angles. I promise that this is a fight that I’m going to make very exciting.”

Q: What was the reason behind losing weight heading into this fight?

Barry: “Joe’s still a very young heavyweight. We’ve been together for five years and we’re still a long way away from a finished product. Last year, we bumped Joe up quite a bit. We put a bunch of muscle on him. We put an extra 10 pounds of weight on him and it actually doesn’t really work out for us. So we sat down, Joe and I, and we said that we felt he was a busier fighter, a more mobile fighter, his feet and hands were faster, when he was lighter. So for a fight like this against a big, strong, powerful guy like Joshua it was important that we went back to a mobile, lighter fighter.”

Q: Do you think Joshua and Eddie Hearn saw something the rest of the world didn’t see in your fight against Hughie Fury, which wasn’t your best performance?

Parker: “Last year wasn’t our best year and I wasn’t close to what we can actually do in the ring. They probably saw a lot of things that they could work on to get to us but we’re a totally different fighter now from where we were last year. We’ve improved on a lot of things and we’re going to show everyone what we’ve been working so hard on in Vegas.”

Q: What would it mean to you to become the unified heavyweight champion?

Parker: “It would mean a lot. It would mean the world, not only for myself but for our team. There’s a lot of people that’s involved in getting me to this stage and there’s a lot of people that want me to go out there and put on my best performance. It’s going to mean a lot for myself, my team, my coach and my countries of New Zealand and Samoa.”

Q: Are you concerned that if the fight goes to the scorecards you won’t get a fair shake because of Joshua’s popularity in Great Britain?

Parker: “I’m not concerned and the reason I say that is because we have good officials. My team has done a great job to get neutral officials and my focus is on the fight. I want to go out there and do my best. Whatever happens, happens. But I trust that the officials will do the right thing and give the right decision.”

Barry: ”It was very important for us when we were formulating this contract that we had independent, neutral officials. We have three judges – one from the United States, one from the UK and one from New Zealand. And we have an Italian referee so we’re very happy with the names that have been put forward that there will be no disputing the decision. We believe that we have fair, very experienced officials who will do a good job come Saturday the 31st.”

Q: Do you think Joshua is underestimating you based on what they saw in that fight against Fury?

Parker: “I think on that performance, they are underestimating us and I think a lot of people are already writing us off because of that performance. But, like I said, we’ve worked on a lot of things and we had a great camp and it’s going to be a different fight as you guys will see March 31. If they’re judging us off that fight, then they’ve got it totally wrong. That could definitely work in our favor.”

Barry: “I think the same will go for both camps. If they’re looking at the Fury fight, we know that Joseph is a much better fighter than that. Fury was a very awkward opponent, an opponent that we wouldn’t have even been in the ring with if it wasn’t for a mandatory. Looking at Joshua’s last fight with Carlos Takam, he really didn’t light the world on fire in that fight and he left a lot of question marks about his performance. We’re expecting a much better Joshua than the one that fought Carlos Takam. So the same can be said both ways.”

Q: What did you think of Joshua’s performance against Takam?

Parker: “It wasn’t his best effort but he did what he had to do to get the victory. Maybe training with someone who was a lot taller and then fighting somebody shorter changed the way that he approached the fight but I think the main thing is that he got the victory and he kept the belts and that’s why we can make this big fight happen.”

Q: What do you think your advantages are over Joshua?

Parker: “I’ve been 12 rounds five times so I’m durable. With this training camp that we’ve had, we’ve worked a lot on different angles and speed. What we’ve been seeing in the gym and in sparring, we’re going to put on display come fight night. I think I have advantages in speed and power. If we execute it well on fight night then he won’t be able to catch us and he won’t be able to land that big shot that he throws.”

Barry: “Speed is the key. We’ve always believed that Joe’s the fastest heavyweight in the world. I also believe that out of all the heavyweight champions, I think Joe has the better skill. I think he does things better than Joshua does. I think he’s more complete than Joshua. Is he as big as Joshua? No. Is his reach as long as Joshua’s? No. Joshua’s got a 100 percent knockout record but I believe Joseph Parker is a better skilled fighter than Antony Joshua and I think when we put the movement, the hand speed and the skill together, it’s going to be a very good combination and a successful combination on March 31.”

Q: Do you want to make a prediction for the fight?

Parker: “I’m going to be victorious. It’s going to be a great fight. We’re both hungry, we’re both undefeated and we’ve both been training hard but I believe in myself. I believe in my team and what we’ve been working on. I believe I’m going to be victorious March 31.”

Q: Do you think that Joshua’s chin is a big weakness for him?

Barry: “I think he has a pretty good chin. I know that we used the glass door as part of our marketing strategy in putting this fight together, but we believe as a team that Joshua has a good chin. He’s fought some big guys. He’s been hit on the chin before. Sure, he got dropped against Klitschko and there were stories of him getting dropped multiple times in the amateurs and that he was dropped in the gym in sparring, but all in all he’s a big, strong, powerful guy and I think his chin is not too bad.”

Barry (Opening Comments): “We’ve been in the gym running each morning at 6:30, 7:00 and in the boxing gym at 2:30. We’ve been doing between 16 and 18 rounds of boxing each day. Today we sparred and Joe is looking very sharp, very confident and the little bit of jet lag that we had is getting less and less by the day and we anticipate by this weekend we’ll have both feet firmly planted on the ground ready for a big week next week.”

Rumors abound the UFC could be pursuing Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to sign a boxing contract, according to reports from Gareth Davies of the Morning Telegraph.

Dana White is making a bid to sign Joshua to a multi-fight deal that could be worth upward of $500 million, according to a report Wednesday in the United Kingdom’s Daily Telegraph.

“Listen, I’m riding with Eddie (Hearn). I’ve been riding with Eddie. He got me from the get-go,” Joshua said. “I’m not into the UFC, so I don’t know what their plans are. … I’m interested because we can all work together. Remember, mine and Eddie’s relationship is a really good working relationship. And I’m sure Eddie has an interest in working with Dana White. If it’s good business, it makes sense.

“We’ll listen and 100 percent, if it makes sense we’re all ears, man. I’m happy that Dana is coming into the game. Hopefully, he can add some excitement and we can progress forward and make some good money and make some good fights.”

“If Dana White wants to speak to us, obviously Anthony is with us, we’re willing to talk to anybody,” Hearn said on Wednesday night’s media call. “We do great business with everyone — Bernd Boente, Duco Events. I work with Top Rank, Golden Boy, Al Haymon. We work with anyone if the business is right.”

Then Hearn drew a big laugh when he added, “In the meantime, I’ll sign [UFC top draw] Conor McGregor and it will all be fair.”

Crolla is back in action following his win over three-weight king Ricky Burns in Manchester in October and now the 31 year old faces Mexican Ramirez, unbeaten in 18 fights, as he takes the first steps on a path he hopes leads to a shot at a belt at 135lbs.

“Eddie and I met recently and we outlined a plan to get back to World titles and Cardiff is the first fight in that plan,” said Crolla. “I need to get out there and get another win and then we can look for a big fight in the summer. It’s a great platform, there’s no bigger event to be on and I’m really excited to go to Cardiff. I’m always mixing at the top level so I want a test and Ramirez will be well up for it.

“We’ve had rough talks about a lot of fights. Luke Campbell and I both want to fight for World titles and I don’t think either of us would have a problem in fighting the other, but the ultimate goal for us both is to win a World title. We’re one and two in Britain so it makes sense so we’ll see what happens down the line.

“I’m not targeting anyone in particular, I just want a World title shot – I’ll take on any of the champions and go anywhere to do it.

“Ricky is a great fighter, he’s achieved so much in the sport so it was a big win for me to prove that I’ve still got a lot left to give. I knew if I’d lost to Ricky it would have been a long way back so winning was huge for me and it’s given me a boost ahead of a really important year.”

Crolla’s clash with Ramirez is part of a huge night of action in Cardiff as Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker meet in a World Heavyweight unification blockbuster.

Ryan Burnett defends his WBA World Bantamweight crown against Yonfrez Parejo and Alexander Povetkin puts his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International titles against Liverpool favourite David Price, Josh Kelly also goes for his first belt against former IBF World champion Carlos Molina for the WBA International Welterweight title and Welshman Joe Cordina fights for his first pro title with the WBA International Lightweight belt on the line against Andy Townend.

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £40, £60, £80, £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

By Norm Frauenheim-

LOS ANGELES — Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn is confident a Joshua-Deontay Wilder fight for the undisputed heavyweight title can happen in 2018 if Joshua beats challenger Joseph Parker on March 31.

Hearn talked about the Joshua-Wilder possibility Thursday after a news conference with his UK featherweight, Scott Quigg, for Saturday’s ESPN’s bout with WBO champion Oscar Valdez Jr. at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

“The Wilder fight is the one,’’ Hearn said. “It’s the biggest fight in world boxing.’’

Hearn said there is no uncertainty about whether Joshua-Wilder would happen. He called the fight “inevitable.’’ But there are still questions about when. First, Joshua, the IBF and WBA champion, has to beat Parker, the WBO champ, at the end of this month in Cardiff, Wales.

If Joshua — a prohibitive favorite – wins as expected, Hearn says he then will consider a couple options. Before Wilder retained the WBC version of the heavyweight title with a stoppage of Luis Ortiz Saturday, there had been talk about Joshua making U.S. debut against Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in August.

“Options are that we go in August against someone and then Deontay Wilder, or straight on to Wilder,’’ said Hearn, who said the Showtime ratings (peak audience 1.2 million/average 1.1) for Wilder-Ortiz were good. “But if we do Wilder, it probably will be October, November December.’’

Josh Kelly will face former IBF World champion Carlos Molina for the WBA International Welterweight title at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Kelly fights for his first title in just his sixth pro outing and first stadium appearance since turning over in April. The Team GB Rio Olympian has not needed to go beyond six rounds so far, with his last appearance an impressive sixth round stoppage win in his first scheduled ten rounder in London in December.

Kelly, who turned 24 today, now faces a huge step-up in class as he targets landing his first belt in the shape of former Super-Welterweight king Molina. The Mexican won his World crown in September 2013 beating Ishe Smith in his Las Vegas backyard and will provide Kelly with a stiff examination of the promise he’s shown in his first year in the paid ranks – but Kelly says that trainer Adam Booth is ready to let him off the leash.

“Adam said it’s time for me to step up, so let’s go,” said Kelly. “I feel this is a real test against a proven fighter. He’s a former World Champion so you can’t deny this is my biggest fight to date. I can’t wait to step between those ropes in Cardiff and propel myself into the mix.

“He’s never been stopped so it says a lot. Just look at the names on his record that he’s been in with, I know how tough he will be. The motivation is to win against any fighter is enough for me, I want to perform on the big stage – I’m very excited to say the least.

“I’m ready for this. I feel physically, mentally and emotionally ready to take this step up and have been for a fight or two. I’ve learnt a lot in the fights and in training over the past year and also got to know myself even more. The learning process never stops, there’s improvements to be made with each fight and every step up starting March 31.”

Kelly’s clash with Molina is part of a huge night of action in Cardiff as Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker meet in a World Heavyweight unification blockbuster.

Ryan Burnett defends his WBA World Bantamweight crown against Yonfrez Parejo and Alexander Povetkin puts his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International titles against Liverpool favourite David Price and Welshman Joe Cordina fights for his first pro title with the WBA International Lightweight belt on the line against Andy Townend.

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £40, £60, £80, £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

Morgan Jones has landed a golden chance to shine on the big stage as he meets Mose Auimatagi Jnr at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Unbeaten Welshman Jones moved to 12-0 in July with a fifth KO in the paid ranks at The O2, and now the 27 year old wants to make a name for himself with a win on the biggest stage possible.

Auimatagi Jnr is unbeaten in his last eight outings and the 22 year old Auckland man will be hoping to kick-off a famous night for New Zealand boxing with fellow Kiwi Joseph Parker meeting Anthony Joshua MBE in a Heavyweight unification blockbuster – but Jones says he’ll stay unbeaten and send the fans home with a new star on their minds.

“As a Welshman it’s a dream come true to box at the Principality Stadium,” said Jones. “I’ve done my apprenticeship on the small hall shows with twelve straight wins and now I’m ready for the biggest stage.

“I hear Team Parker have high hopes for Mose Auimatagi Jnr but he’s coming to the lion’s den in Cardiff and it’s my time to shine. I want to be boxing for major titles later in 2018 and this is the next big step towards that goal. Sure, the fans are there for AJ but I hope they go home remembering my name too!”

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I really appreciate the opportunity to fight on such a big stage this early in my career!” said Auimatagi Jr. “If fighting on such an iconic promotion isn’t exciting enough, the challenge of becoming the first opponent of 13 to date, to beat formidable top local prospect Morgan Jones, in his own backyard, in front of up to 90,000 fans supporting him, sure helps me find the motivation in training.”

Jones’ clash with Auimatagi Jnr is part of a colossal night of action in Cardiff as Anthony Joshua MBE faces Joseph Parker in a World Heavyweight unification battle.

Ryan Burnett defends his WBA World Bantamweight crown against Yonfrez Parejo and Alexander Povetkin puts his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International titles against Liverpool favourite David Price and Welshman Joe Cordina fights for his first pro title with the WBA International Lightweight belt on the line against Andy Townend.

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £40, £60, £80, £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

The World heavyweight unification clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN in multiple markets next month. The contest between the two champions will be aired live from Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday March 31 in Germany, Austria and Canada.

UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS

The fight will be only the second time in boxing history where two undefeated heavyweight champions compete in a unification bout. British fighter Joshua, the IBF and WBA World Champion, who has won all 20 of his professional fights by knockout will face New Zealand star Parker, the WBO belt holder, who’s achieved 18 knockouts in his 24 wins to date.

LIVE ON DAZN

In partnership with Matchroom Boxing and Duco Events, DAZN will exclusively showcase all the action in the run up to the big night, including the must see weigh in and press conferences between the two fighters. DAZN will also broadcast behind the scenes footage and an archive of previous fights.

John Gleasure, Chief Commercial Officer, DAZN commented: “We are thrilled to be featuring two of the best fighters in the world in what looks set to be an epic battle; and DAZN fans get to watch it at no extra cost. Unlike other broadcasters, DAZN doesn’t charge a premium for box office events. This fight is another example of our commitment to make sport more affordable and accessible than ever before. On DAZN you get the biggest and best sporting events, for one simple, affordable price.”

Eddie Hearn, Group Managing Director at Matchroom Sport added: ““This is a history making fight – a breathtaking heavyweight unification between two young, fearless, undefeated Champions and through this partnership we are delighted that more boxing fans in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada will be able to witness this special night.”

Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua maybe coming to the United States later this year possibly against Jarrell Miller, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Anthony Joshua would never look past Joseph Parker, but our job is to plan the future,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said. “I’ve been talking to [Barclays Center CEO] Brett Yormark about bringing [Joshua] to New York, and August would be an opportunity to do that. While the unification fight [with Deontay] Wilder looks to be unlikely until [Wilder] gets realistic about the split [of the money], we feel a fight in America would be beneficial to us and, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, Miller would be the guy, provided he get the win. So there’s a lot for Miller to fight for.

“In an ideal world, we’d like to see AJ’s U.S. debut in August or September. We have a strong relationship with the Barclays Center, and a fight with Miller — a kid from Brooklyn — would be an attractive fight. It’s a nice story.”

“Until March 31 happens, we just don’t know. AJ could lose the fight, get injured — anything can happen,” Hearn said. “But New York and America is a focus for us in 2018. It’s one of the territories we want to box in. The Wilder fight, I feel, is inevitable but it’s just a case of when it will happen. It all depends. Wilder has to beat Luis Ortiz [on March 3, also at Barclays Center], and we have Parker and then maybe Miller.

“But we are very serious about America. It’s very important to us and definitely on the agenda for 2018.”

“But anything can happen when you’re in these big unification fights,” Hearn said. “We’ll review everything on April 1.”

“We’re talking about potential U.S. broadcast partners moving forward,” Hearn said. “Showtime were the guys who backed Anthony Joshua when other people weren’t interested, so they get first opportunity as far as I’m concerned. They put the money up and invested in AJ’s career when others didn’t. Over the next few months we’ll be working and talking to different American broadcasters. This is a very important decision. It’s not just the money. It’s about picking the broadcaster who can grow AJ’s brand and make him a star in America.

“I had a meeting with Stephen Espinoza [on Tuesday] to talk about Anthony’s future. I get on very well with HBO. They’re hugely interested in signing Anthony Joshua. I’m sure everyone will want to make an offer. We’ll get the Parker fight sorted and decide what’s next for AJ’s future.”

The final batch of tickets for the World Heavyweight title unification blockbuster between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31 will go on sale at midday on Monday February 26.

Joshua and Parker clash for the WBA Super, IBF, IBO and WBO belts at the Welsh national stadium and fight fans have already snapped up over 70,000 for the event, which also features Ryan Burnett defending his WBA World Bantamweight title against Yonfrez Parejo, Alexander Povetkin putting his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International titles against Liverpool favourite David Price, Joe Cordina fighting for his first pro title against Andy Townend with the WBA International Lightweight title and more undercard action to be announced soon.

Tickets will go on sale at midday on Monday February 26 through official ticketing partner StubHub priced at £40, £60, £80, £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

Burnett added the WBA crown to his IBF belt with a brilliant performance in a unification clash with Zhanat Zhakiyanov in his hometown of Belfast in October, following hot off the heels of his masterclass against Lee Haskins in June to rip the IBF crown from the Bristolian to become World champion.

After claiming the WBA strap, Burnett had two mandatories due and will now meet Venezuelan Parejo on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s Heavyweight unification blockbuster against Joseph Parker in the Welsh capital.

“I’m delighted to be added to this show it’s going to be an incredible experience to defend my World title in front of 80,000 in Cardiff,” said Burnett. “I don’t really get involved in the politics but we knew that when we face Zhakiyanov that is was likely we may have to vacate one of the belts because of mandatories but I’ve unified the division and now we move on to new challenges.

“I expect a tough fight against Parejo, our styles should gel for a great fight and I’m looking forward to making another statement on March 31.”

“The IBF called an interim title bout between Rodriguez and Haskins so we proceeded to make the fight with our WBA mandatory Parejo,” said Burnett’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “Last week we were notified that that bout would no longer take place and that Rodriguez team were not willing to negotiate and they called immediate purse bids. Our deal was already in place with Parejo so we will vacate our IBF title and continue to face our WBA mandatory.”

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

SHOWTIME Sports will present the Heavyweight World championship unification between undefeated IBF and WBA World Champion Anthony Joshua MBE and unbeaten WBO World Champion Joseph Parker on Saturday, March 31 live on SHOWTIME from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

British sensation Joshua, who has knocked out all 20 of his professional opponents, burst onto the global scene with a dramatic knockout of long-reigning Heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko in the universally acclaimed 2017 Fight of the Year at Wembley Stadium in London.

In two fights last year, Joshua drew 168,000 spectators combined to massive stadium events in the U.K. Now, he faces another significant challenge in Parker, a native of New Zealand with 24 wins, no losses and 18 knockouts. Parker is attempting the third World title defence of his WBO belt.

Joshua vs. Parker is just the second Heavyweight championship unification in history between undefeated World titleholders. The only fighter to emerge victorious from a matchup of unbeaten Heavyweight World champions was Mike Tyson in 1987.

With the addition of Joshua vs. Parker, SHOWTIME will televise all four of the Heavyweight World titles in the same month as undefeated American Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) will defend his WBC belt against unbeaten Luis Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs) on Saturday, March 3 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The four top-rated Heavyweights–Wilder, Ortiz, Joshua and Parker–boast a combined record of 111 wins, zero losses and 100 knockouts.

Both Heavyweight championships are cornerstones of a remarkable 2018 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING schedule that now includes 16 undefeated fighters and 13 world titles fights across 11 marquee events through the first six months of the year.

“The Heavyweight division is in the midst of a renaissance and SHOWTIME is delivering the all of the pivotal bouts to our subscribers,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Anthony Joshua is a global superstar and we’re proud to present his sixth, and perhaps most challenging, World title fight to the U.S. audience. Joshua vs. Parker will be the 12th Heavyweight World championship match on SHOWTIME since Deontay Wilder won his title in 2015, an undisputed industry-leading offering in boxing’s preeminent division.”

The event is promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Duco Events. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will televise the event live from Principality Stadium where organizers expect a sell-out of 80,000 spectators. The host of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Brian Custer. Mauro Ranallo calls the action from ringside along with International Boxing Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-division World champion Paul Malignaggi. A 2018 Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Gray, serves as ringside reporter.

Alexander Povetkin will defend his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International Heavyweight titles against David Price at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Former WBA ruler Povetkin is the mandatory challenger for the WBA Super title held by Anthony Joshua MBE, who meets Joseph Parker in a unification blockbuster at the top of the bill. The Russian powerhouse will be targeting a showdown with the main event winner, but must first make a second successful defence of his titles having seen off Christian Hammer in December after winning the belts in July against Andriy Rudenko.

“I’m very excited to be fighting on this huge show,” said Povetkin. “I expect to put on a great performance and then go on to fight the Joshua vs. Parker winner later this year.”

Price has other ideas as he lands a golden opportunity to take a seat at the top table in the Heavyweight division. The Liverpool favourite returned to action in December in Essex after his loss to Hammer in February, and the 34 year old is determined to take this golden chance on a ‘life changing’ night.

“It is a massive, massive chance for me and it has come from nowhere,” said Price. “I wasn’t expecting an opportunity like this to appear so it was a no-brainer.

“It is a big ask for me to go out and win this fight but upsets do happen in sport. I have been on the wrong end of upsets in boxing and I think I am due a bit of luck. I have a belief that this fight has come at the right time for me and I have a belief that I am going to win the fight.

“Without doing myself a disservice, every dog has its day and I have a feeling that this is doing to be my day and everything that has happened has led to this.

“I have never found myself in this position where I have been the big underdog and I have everything to gain. I will go in there completely free of any pressure and I think people will see the best of me for that very reason.

“Make no mistake, I am coming to win. At first, I was just grateful for the opportunity but now in my mind I have to win this fight. There is plenty to gain and too much upside for me not to win this fight – it could be life changing. I am desperate to win this fight and I will do everything in my power to do so.

“I know it will be a hard fight, anything can happen in a fight and I may have to get off the floor to win. It is going to be the hardest fight of my life but something is telling me it is going to be my night.

“Sparring will be key for me. I am going to have to take myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to sparring for this fight. I need to bring in world-class sparring partners who will test me every day. We will go away to Germany for some sparring, we haven’t got any names yet but we are having a look.

“In the past I have performed my best when I have been really tested in the gym and in sparring, so that will be key for this fight. I need to be prepared for what is to come because it is going to be a hard fight and as long as I am prepared physically and mentally then nature will take its course.”

Povetkin and Price clash on a huge night of boxing in Cardiff as Joshua and Parker battle for the IBF, WBA Super, IBO and WBO World titles.

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing are delighted to announce a radio broadcast deal with talkSPORT for SEVEN huge fight nights – including Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight unification battle with Joseph Parker.

The deal begins on Saturday night as unbeaten Cruiserweight talents Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain settle their ‘British Beef’ at The O2.

Next up, Kell Brook makes his debut at Super-Welterweight in Sheffield on March 3 against Sergey Rabchenko and a week later, Scott Quigg aims to become a two-weight World champion as he challenges Oscar Valdez for the WBO Featherweight crown in Los Angeles.

Heavyweight boxing is the focus in a huge fortnight of action at the end of March, starting at The O2 on March 24 where Dillian Whyte defends his WBC Silver title against Lucas Browne before Cardiff takes centre-stage as Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker clash in a huge unification battle.

Amir Khan returns to action for the first time since May 2016 as he meets Phil Lo Greco at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on April 21, and then Tony Bellew and David Haye renew hostilities at The O2 on May 5.

Liam Fisher, National Radio controller at talkSPORT, said: “Another day and more mouth-watering boxing rights for talkSPORT. Our team of pundits will be there for a host of exciting clashes as talkSPORT cements its place as radio’s home of boxing.”

Eddie Hearn said: “Fights don’t get much bigger than this and I’m delighted that we have talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sports radio station, to broadcast all the drama. There’s nothing quite like two titans meeting in the ring and this will be one not to miss.”

Over 70,000 tickets have been sold for the World Heavyweight title unification clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office – and a limited number of tickets will go on sale on Monday January 29.

Joshua and Parker clash for the IBF, WBA Super and WBO World titles on an historic night of boxing in Wales, and after going on sale at midday today only a limited number of £300 and £600 tickets remain available for sale from the official ticketing partner, www.StubHub.co.uk

A number of production holds priced at £40, £60 and £80 go on sale at www.StubHub.co.uk from midday on Monday January 29.

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at: http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

Tickets for the blockbuster Heavyweight World title unification clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker go on pre-sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at midday on Monday January 22 and general sale on Tuesday January 23 ahead of the March 31 event live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Tickets for the event are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £600 – with VIP tickets priced at £2000.

Tickets go on sale for the fight by the official ticketing partner, www.StubHub.co.uk

Fight Pass Members: tickets on sale midday on Monday January 22
General sale: tickets available at midday on Tuesday 23 January

Coach packages also go on sale at midday on Tuesday via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on tickets. Sign up now and add your delivery address and payment details on StubHub here

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

You are strongly advised to plan your travel to Cardiff before purchasing your tickets and will need to allow plenty of time for additional security checks at Principality Stadium.

WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will meet WBO Champion Joseph Parker on March 31st in Cardiff, Wales, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I would like to announce the official news that myself and Joseph Parker will be fighting on March 31 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff,” Joshua said on Sunday. “It is a unification heavyweight championship fight. We all know what happened last time I was in a unification heavyweight championship fight. It was grueling, it was interesting and we both left the ring with masses of respect.”

“Anthony Joshua is in for a huge shock,” Parker said. “A couple of months ago I heard him say, ‘Why should I be worried about this little kid from New Zealand?’ Well, now he’s about to find out. And the world is about to find out whether AJ can really take a punch. My entire existence is now devoted to proving what the boxing world already knows.”

“These fights aren’t easy because there is a lot on the line, so respect to Team Parker for taking the challenge,” Joshua said. “And you know me, I love this game. I am looking forward to it. Training camp is underway and before you know it, March 31 will be upon us.”

“I’m delighted to get this fight made — it’s been a long time coming,” Hearn said. “Champions should fight champions and AJ continues to step up to the challenges. It’s the first time in history that two reigning heavyweight world champions have met in Britain, and it’s a classic matchup between two young, fast, undefeated belt holders and it’s going to be an explosive fight. This is another huge unification fight for Anthony as he continues to make history in the quest to become undisputed world heavyweight champion.”

“Eddie has been great to work with from day one,” Higgins said. “I know we ruffled a few feathers along the way but, as Eddie acknowledged, when you come from a small country and people perceive you as a small player, sometimes you’ve got to make a bit of noise. New Zealand might be a tiny country on the other side of the world, but it has a hugely proud sporting tradition — and a particularly strong tradition when it comes to whipping mother England.

“Joseph Parker is the absolute epitome of the Kiwi sporting battler. It has been said that he is punching above his weight, but he didn’t become WBO heavyweight champion by being lucky. He’s never been stopped, never even been wobbled in the ring. He’s consistently fought fighters in the world’s top 10 and he’s beaten them all easily. It certainly won’t be a shock to me when he beats Anthony Joshua and takes his titles back home to New Zealand.”

The unification bout between WBA/IBF Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and WBO champion Joseph Parker is close to being finalized, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m on my way to London because it looks like we are close enough to board this plane and to go see Eddie Hearn in person so we can fine-tune the details and put the finishing touches on this deal,” Parker co=promoter David Higgins told ESPN on Sunday night — Monday afternoon in his home country of New Zealand — as he waited for his flight to take off.

“In boxing, some camps haggle and argue over trivial stuff, and it gets in the way of fights,” Higgins said. “They have petty arguments. Eddie is more like me in that he’s straightforward, and based on the negotiations that we have had to date, we can close out the final details and get an announcement in about a week. There are just a few minor things, co-promotional stuff that we’re working on. We’re dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.”

“When it comes to the major things in this deal, we are already on the same page,” Higgins said. “Everything is positive, so I am going to London with confidence that we will wrap this up and have a big fight.”

“The discussions for the American television broadcaster are going on right now, but the fight will have a major television outlet in the United States,” Higgins said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, a unification bout between heavyweight champion’s Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker is close to being finalized.

“The fight has never been closer. We’re a lot closer now to a deal because we’ve had a major breakthrough, which is that the two camps have formally agreed on the split,” Parker’s co-promoter David Higgins told ESPN in a phone interview from his home country of New Zealand. “The Joshua side made a small concession, and the Parker side has made a small concession.”

“It’s between 30 and 35-ish percent for the Parker side,” Higgins said. “I’ll leave it at that for now, but it’s somewhere close to the middle of that. Maybe after Eddie and I talk about it, we will make the figure public.”

“My gut feeling is there will be a deal. We’re only haggling over officials,” he said. “We’ll have to have a discussion with the British Boxing Board of Control [which regulates the sport in the U.K.]. I’m also happy to have the sanctioning bodies nominate a pool of officials. But even with that, we’re very close to a deal.”

“I think that’s fair,” Higgins said of the rematch clause. “Should Parker win, there’d be a rematch, and I think that’s fair because, commercially, Joshua is the A-side of the fight.”

“Eddie and I get on well,” Higgins said. “I found him to be smart, and we have a banter and humor between us. He doesn’t have an ego problem. I like working with people like Eddie Hearn. Both sides have given concessions. We respect them.”

“The goal is to get it done as soon as possible,” Higgins said.

By Norm Fruenheim-

It’s been a year full of lots of things.

Full of it, perhaps, if 2017 will be remembered for the spectacle-over-substance display of Floyd Mayweather Jr. entering the ring in a bandit’s mask for his money grab against Conor McGregor.

That single, most-watched event over the last 12 months was embarrassing for the obscene hype it generated and the gullibility it exposed in the four-plus million pay-per-view customers who paid for the show.

The guess here is that it will be forgotten and never be repeated, although the latter might be hoping for too much.

If it wasn’t exactly a great year, it was a promising one because of Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence, Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez and the ongoing move away from the pay-per-view business model.

The promise was played out in one terrific fight — Anthony Joshua climbing off the deck for an 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko on April 29 in London. It’s Fight of the Year, of course.

There are other nominees, but none are contenders in a 2017 that will forever be known for a fight significant on so many levels.

There was the crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium — 90,000, boxing’s biggest since World War II. It was a classic between heavyweights, a division that had begun to look as old as the newsreel footage of WW II battles.

But there it was, all over again and available on live stream, with the kind of drama that plays well in any era. It was timeless. Klitschko gets up from a fifth-round knockdown. Joshua gets up in the sixth, clearly hurt and yet survives. Klitschko is down again, twice in he eleventh and back on his feet after both before a succession of Joshua punches forces a stoppage.

It was a classic reminder of how good the heavyweights have been and can still be. As we await 2018’s opening bell, there is relevance and some of the aforementioned promise in all of that. Decades and a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear have come and gone since anybody talked about the heavyweights.

But on the list of fights that fans want to see, Joshua-versus-American Deontay Wilder is right there, alongside Garcia-Lomachenko, a Golovkin-Canelo rematch and Crawford against any of the top-ranked welterweights.

Will it happen? Hard to say. At the negotiating table, Joshua’s popularity among UK fans is as powerful as Canelo’s ability to draw Mexican fans.

A sure sign of that came in a follow-up. In October, a crowd of 78,000 showed up in Cardiff, Wales, for Joshua’s victory over Carlos Takam, who had none of Klitschko’s name recognition.

Joshua has yet to create much of a following in the U.S. If an overrated Ricky Hatton proved anything, however, it’s that UK fans travel. In New York or Las Vegas, he’d be the crowd favorite against Wilder.

First, however, it looks as if a couple of things have to happen. There are ongoing negotiations for Joshua to fight Joseph Parker of New Zealand, perhaps in March. There are also talks for Wilder to finally face Cuban Luis Ortiz, also in March.

Of the two, Wilder faces the biggest danger. The clever Ortiz has enough skill to beat Wilder. It depends on which Ortiz shows up. Wilder’s fundamental skillset has always been questioned. But he has always won, mostly with a right as good as any in many years.

If Wilder’s right hand instead of Klitschko’s had knocked down Joshua in April, the guess here is that the Wembley fight would have ended then and there.

But it has to land, and there’s a question about whether Wilder can do that against Joshua, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist. It’s also a question that includes wilder’s right-handed power, a so-called equalizer as unpredictable as it is dynamic.

As a New Year begins, it’s a talking point, a reason for optimism that wouldn’t be there if not for Joshua-Klitschko, Fight of the Year and the best heavyweight fight in at least a generation.

It’s a holiday treat for HBO Boxing fans. Over four consecutive nights in late December, HBO will present seven of the year’s standout fights, spotlighting some of the biggest names in the sport. Featured are signature wins by Anthony Joshua, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Sadam Ali and Andre Ward plus the high-stakes middleweight showdown last September between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin that was judged a draw before a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Starting Tuesday, Dec. 26, HBO will replay seven major league showdowns from this year sprinkled over four consecutive nights. All the fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand® and affiliate portals.

The “Boxing’s Best” lineup includes:

Tuesday, December 26 Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin &

11:00 p.m. ET/PT Orlando Salido vs. Miguel Roman

Wednesday, December 27 Roman Gonzalez vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai I

11:30 p.m. ET/PT & Miguel Cotto vs. Sadam Ali

Thursday, December 28 David Lemieux vs. Curtis Stevens &

11:00 p.m. ET/PT Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2

Friday, December 29 Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko

11:00 p.m. ET/PT

By Jimmy Tobin-

Anthony Joshua retained his heavyweight hardware with a tenth-round stoppage of typically game Carlos Takam at the near-bursting Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales Saturday night. A right hand wobbled Takam at a time when he was as much a threat to Joshua’s unblemished knockout streak as Joshua was to Takam’s senses, and referee Phil Edwards, understanding which of the threatened most needed protecting, waived off the action. God save the King!…or at least preserve him.

Joshua rallying from an early knockdown to chop down Wladimir Klitschko six months ago this was not, and the discrepancy between the quality of that fight and expectations for Saturday’s is likely a force-multiplier for any disappointment with Joshua-Takam. Takam would not make any harrowing inquiries of the heavyweight future, for however sturdy, fit, even crafty by modern heavyweight standards he may be, he was still only a replacement for mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (who might make a compelling fight against Takam but would meet a similar fate against Joshua).

Yet in an era where a fighter can have developmental fights even after winning multiple titles, and where every stern challenge provides license for at least one unwatchable one, Takam was as good a replacement opponent as you will see. The Cameroonian went ten attritional rounds with the finest version of Alexander Povetkin chemistry could concoct, and it was Takam who first scuffed some of the sheen off Joseph Parker (validating him in the process). Without pressure from a sanctioning body, promoter Eddie Hearn might have tried to get away with a lesser opponent: after all, not one of the 75,000 or so devotees in Principality Stadium bought a ticket to watch Pulev, no one was there to catch an in-person glimpse of Takam. Joshua could have fought most anyone and the crowd would have left happy provided his opponent was riveted to the canvas.

But Takam can, and came to, fight. Joshua looked ponderous at times trying to corner Takam, and betrayed his frustration at this by too often loading up—and subsequently missing—when he was in range. The headbutt that crashed into and broke Joshua’s nose in the second round only compounded his troubles. Still, he dropped Takam in the fourth, cut him over both eyes, and however convenient the stoppage, was never remotely in danger of losing. Joshua should learn from this fight; expect his body punches (something he used to great effect against Klitschko) to figure more prominently in the future, for trainer Robert McCracken to remind Joshua that a 250-pound man with technique and intentions befitting his calling need prioritize landing clean punches—and trust their ensuing effect. And, as there is craft beyond the margins of sportsmanship worth learning, one also expects Joshua to treat the next opponent who repeatedly-accidentally leads with his head to an equally malicious response.

Joshua’s struggles, minimal as they were, serve as a reminder that however uninspiring the opponent, however suspicious the stoppage, Saturday’s fight was no formality. Indeed, finding anything suspicious at all about the stoppage only confirms this—no one would decry a premature ending to a pointless endeavor. Takam pushed Joshua a bit, revealed something of him, and fights that reveal tend to be entertaining. Admittedly, this may stretch the criteria for what constitutes entertainment and were you to pass entirely on watching what appeared very much like a foregone conclusion, you will find no objection here.

But the point about revelation is important: because any expectations that Tyson Fury’s dethroning of Klitschko two years ago would liberate the division, would result in matchups of refreshing novelty and quality, died quickly. The only heavyweight fight of any genuine intrigue since was Joshua-Klitschko, (which was phenomenal). Fury, the supposed liberator, cannot get himself in the ring, Deontay Wilder continues to suffer (benefit?) from drug testing, while Luis Ortiz only suffers from it; all of which speaks to how many of those aforementioned matchups of refreshing novelty have actually been made. (And while we’re at it, how about that bloody process of elimination establishing the cruiserweight pecking order looming as an unforgiving point of comparison?)

Joshua’s future then, promises more Takams than even forty-something-year-old Klitschkos—all the better if the challengers-in-perpetuity can make him sweat. Let them make a complete fighter of him, and confirm this creation with a few thrills along the way.

So Joshua will probably not clean out a division begging for such treatment anytime soon: mandatory defenses and the rest of the stifling rigmarole that keeps boxing forever in its own way will see to that. Should he fight two to three times a year, however, splitting those fights between tedious defenses and the challenges even his critics crave, then the division is in good hands. Oh, it’s mostly still a wreck, photographs of Tyson Fury with his shirt off, gifs of Deontay Wilder, and a handful of drug tests will tell you that. Still, if you find yourself in the food court of a mall streaming a Joshua fight on your phone, know that he is the rare heavyweight that warrants such efforts.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in an enormous Welsh rugby stadium heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua beat Franco-Cameroonian Carlos Takam by a round-10 referee stoppage whose referee itched to stoppage it from just about the opening bell. Faced with such odds on short notice Takam made a fine showing for himself, and Joshua didn’t do badly either.

All three men did their jobs Saturday in Great Britain. Joshua sold a whole lot of tickets and punched a gatekeeper often enough to please ticketbuyers. Takam kept the gate, fighting like a proud man who knew victory was likely as a miracle and th’t short of a miracle a dignified showing’d further his career further than alternative approaches (Deontay Wilder’s nowhere near crazy as he swings and knows better than to cross the pond and get chloroformed by a fighter who knows how; Takam’s got a handsome 2018 payday awaiting him in Alabama). And referee Phil Edwards delivered the stoppage everyone wanted to preserve Joshua’s 100-percent knockout ratio – even going so far as to leave a white towel hanging off the cornerpost midway through the match, lest the Takam corner miss its cue.

With Wladimir Klitschko retired it’s exhibition matches far as the eye can see for Joshua, and so a new sort of judging criterion is required for American fans who can’t warm to Joshua much more than we warmed to Klitschko. Helpfully Europeans fill stadiums with an inexplicable enthusiasm that is nearly infectious. One needn’t be a publicist or promoter to have a rooting interest in the health of our beloved sport’s ecosystem; the optics of 78,000 folks in a stadium in Wales to see a prizefight, or even half that, something no American prizefighter can give us, makes a spectacle enough to prompt popish coverage enough to spark a few American kids’ enthusiasm enough to lure them off a popwarner field or littleleague diamond into a boxing gym, which American boxing needs quite desperately, kids who learn to box instead of men who wash out their preferred sports then give boxing a try after they’re a decade too old to move better than mechanically.

Writing of mechanical movement and Klitschko and Joshua, it’s Joshua’s movement that allures in a way Klitschko’s never did or even approached doing. Whatever his record Wladimir Klitschko generally fought like a skittish robot programmed to call on three offensive scripts that went jab.jab.jab.jab or jab.jab.jab.hook or jab.jab.hook.cross. Everything else Klitschko did in a fight, leaping backwards and setting his chin 60 inches behind his left fist and armswrapping and alternately chesting shorter opponents’ foreheads or pattycaking their lead hands, was done to preclude combat; once he had a much smaller man properly attritioned Klitschko would use these tactics tactically and maybe even offensively but they were not born of aggression.

Where Klitschko often moved in championship prizefights like a scared giant Joshua moves like a fighter – like he wants to measure accurately his gifts, tangible and otherwise, not collect meaningless defenses like a statistician then sue posterity with accumulated evidence. Joshua steps with the jab, pistonstroking it outwards from his chest. By keeping the leadhand home Joshua does these two things among others: He gives an opponent a running start at him Klitschko would never allow, and he generates more force. In other words Joshua sacrifices a quotient of his safety to endanger his opponent more fully; that’s the proposition of a fighter who has immense athleticism, as opposed to an immense athlete who happens to fight.

Early in Saturday’s contest Joshua did something else interesting: He measurejabbed over his shorter opponent’s head. Knowing Takam’s only realistic chance at progress was lowrushing charges Joshua encouraged Takam to get lower still, the better to impale Takam on an uppercut. This approach proved unwise risktaking by Joshua as Takam had seasoning enough with taller opponents to navigate his way round and inside and drive his head square into Joshua’s nose, which bracejolts you with pain no matter who you are.

It brought an unlikely association with Chris Byrd, of all past heavyweights, and an infighting drill he once mentioned and some of us tried – the tire drill. This meant setting a truck tire on the floor between two men and having them spar with one foot in it. Tire drill favored the shorter man, or at least the lower man, as head collisions were inevitable and you wanted the top of your head being the point of impact, rather than your chin or nose. A couple of us got to bleeding very quickly, and a trainer cancelled the tire drill hundreds of hours of practice before any of us could do a passable Chris Byrd.

Broken nose or otherwise Joshua spent the rounds after he got bracejolted by Takam’s head punching Takam very hard. Joshua throws his punches very well, and he commits to them, snapping his hips at the target. Critics of Joshua, including one Bronze Bomber, tweeted on his stamina. At no moment was Joshua in danger of losing a round much less the match, though, so how bad might his stamina be? Joshua likely carries too much muscle in the ring – and how he attained and maintains that muscle, you can bet, will be the primary reason Deontay Wilder chooses to say he’s choosing not to fight Joshua, loudly hiding from Joshua behind VADA approval the way Floyd Mayweather hid from Manny Pacquiao with USADA, and probably just as disingenuously – but in this current era of heavyweights no opponent is going to stay so busy Joshua can’t keep up.

After all, how many aficionados can even name 10 heavyweights these days? I’m going to try: Joshua, Wilder, Povetkin, Takam . . .

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Anthony Joshua retained the IBF/WBA Heavyweight titles with a 10th round stoppage over Carlos Takam in front ovf over 78,000 fans at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Joshua controlled the action from the outset. Joshua started to bleed from his nose in round two from a clash of heads. That was the only minor blemish for the champion as he kept the durable Takam at bay with hard jabs and right hands.

The fight started to take its course in round four when Takam suffered a cut over his right eye, and later in the round he was sent to the canvas when he ate a short left hand on the inside.

Joshua continued to land some solid shots, while Takam showed that he was deserving as he tried to fight back and would sneak in a right hand to keep Joshua honest.

In round eye, Takam suffered a cut over his left eye, and the fight was slowly slipping away from the late-replacement challenger.

In round ten, Joshua landed a good combination, and referee Phil Edwards stopped the bout at 1:34.

Joshua is now 20-0 with all wins coming early. Takam of France is now 35-4-1.