Parker vs Joshua, Instead of What's a fair split?
#41
David Higgins and Eddie Hearn open talks about Joseph Parker v Anthony Joshua heavyweight unification fight

Anthony Joshua wants all the heavyweight belts and that's why he is keen on fighting New Zealand's WBO champion Joseph Parker.

Rival boxing promoters Eddie Hearn and David Higgins have finally opened up communication lines, setting up the possibility of a world heavyweight title unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.

Unification is the word on everyone's lips now that respective champions Joshua (WBA and IBF), Parker (WBO) and Deontay Wilder (WBC) have all completed their mandatory defences.

Higgins, Parker and trainer Kevin Barry will outline their hopes for 2018 at a media conference in Auckland on Wednesday, but adjustments might need to be made if talks with Hearn ramp up.

Australian Lucas Browne has established himself as a contender in the heavyweight ranks.

They have a viable alternative in what would be a hugely lucrative trans-Tasman challenge from rugged Australian Lucas Browne, a fight that could be fought across the ditch early next year and would lead into another voluntary defence against resurgent American Bryant Jennings in the United States.

Joseph Parker and his promoter David Higgins have some big decisions to make for next year.

But Higgins, the Duco Events boss, has also been trying to "flush out" Hearn for some time now, saying a Joshua-Parker fight in March can be a reality if the Kiwi's share of the massive purse is "respectful".

Hearn finally engaged Higgins on Monday night and the signs are positive.

"Joshua discussions remain alive for a fight in March next year," Higgins said of his initial contact with Hearn over a unification fight.

"There is a lot of detail to work out but yes, it remains a possibility."

The sticking pointy will primarily be money and Hearn in an interview with American specialist site Thaboxingvoice outlined the position of strength he operates from as calls increase for a clash between Joshua and Wilder.

"Deontay Wilder is a champion but you can't compare him with Anthony Joshua financially," Hearn said, pointing to the 80,000 who watched Joshua defend his title against Carlos Takam in Cardiff last week and the "5000" who turned up in New York to watch Wilder demolish Bermane Stiverne last Sunday (NZT).

"Anthony Joshua is a superstar. He generates the money ... Deontay Wilder doesn't."

It will be a similar scenario with Parker, with Hearn conceding media reports of a 20 per cent payout for the Kiwi as "you know, fairly accurate, although I've never made Joseph Parker an offer".

The test for Duco will be to see what fight they can make the most out of for March.

Higgins likes to have options to weigh up and a fight against Browne is certainly financially viable if a suitable Australian stadium can be filled and pay-per-view TV flows.

But Joshua is operating on a scale of his own right now.

It's why, Hearn says, Parker and Wilder won't get together as a unification alternative.

"Deontay Wilder won't pull the numbers. Deontay Wilder cannot fight Joseph Parker ... he can't afford to give him the money because they can't generate the money," Hearn told Thaboxingvoice.

Hearn wants to see Joshua fight Parker first to build the Wilder fight. That means sooner rather than later.

Hearn said the correct promotional thing to do between Joshua and Wilder would be to let the fight brew for 12 to 18 months.

"But fans have a voice nowadays and AJ wants to give the fans what they want. So, to me, that fight happens in the summer," Hearn said of hopes to pitch Joshua against Wilder in July, meaning a Parker fight would have to happen in March.

- Stuff
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#42
Great news.

Bring it on.
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#43
Australian heavyweight Lucas Browne welcomes chance to finally fight Joseph Parker

Australian heavyweight is set to fight Joseph Parker for the WBO world title in March if plans for a unification bout with Anthony Joshua don't eventuate.

Rugged Australian Lucas Browne says the time is right for the Bledisloe Cup of boxing with a WBO world title fight against Joseph Parker set to be confirmed.

A fight between the two unbeaten heavyweights has been talked of for the last three years but never eventuated.

With Parker now able to nominate voluntary defences of his WBO belt, a tangle with the 38-year-old unbeaten Browne stacks up in terms of money and credibility and negotiations are well advanced.

Joseph Parker is having an extensive training camp in Auckland to finish his year.

The plan is to cash in on boxing's current high across the Tasman on the back of Jeff Horne's world title win over Manny Pacquiao and have the fight in either Sydney or Melbourne in March.

The only obstacle would be ongoing talks between Parker's promoter David Higgins and Anthony Joshua's backer Eddie Hearn about a unification fight in Britain early next year that could offer irresistible money.

Browne says he can live with that as he prepares to fight Parker.

"Unfortunately money does talk at the end of the day. As big a rivalry as it would be between Parker and myself, it's all about dollars and I can respect that as well. At the same time I don't think Eddie Hearn is exactly happy to give away money, so I'd be banking on it (the unification fight) not going through with Parker," Browne told Stuff.

In the twilight of his career Browne says he needs to cash in and feels the situation is ripe for that against the 25-year-old Parker.

"The whole Anzac thing, the cricket and the rugby, it's a lovely rivalry that we have got going on. This can be big," Browne, nicknamed "Big Daddy" said.

"But at the same time I'm just a humble, average sort of bloke who is obviously good at knocking people out. I think Parker himself is an excellent ambassador for the sport and New Zealand. From my end, I think it's going tyo be a nice fight where it's all about boxing and not trash talking."

Browne's 25-0 (22 KOs) record isn't without controversy, blighted by two doping controversies.

Early last year he beat Ruslan Chagev in Russia to win the WBA regular title. But Browne returned two positive tests for the banned substance clenbuterol before eventually being cleared. He was subsequently busted for a banned substance in one of his pre-workout supplements.

"I was stitched up for the first one but the second one was my fault. I can't fault anyone else ... I went into a shop and bought a pre-workout without checking it. I'll never do that again, we check everything now."

Browne said it had been a tough spell living with a tainted record.

"I have had a lot of time digesting lots of abuse for the last two years. I look like a two-time drugs cheat. But I've turned it all around, I've used the hate as a fuel to fight again," he said, though frustrations remain, mainly over lost opportunities.

"I thought once I won the WBA title, that was a step in the right direction for me and bigger fights would come after that. So I'm sort of back to square one in regards to the money and everything else. I've done what I needed to do, but now is the time to make money."

Browne, ranked No 13 by the WBA and No 17 by BoxRec, believes he has the size and style to make Parker uncomfortable.

"I think I'm bigger but at the same time I move a lot better for a bigger guy," the 1.96m former Kings Cross bouncer said.

"If I can put Parker on to the back foot where he is a little less comfortable, it will change the fight in a big way.

"Plus, Parker hasn't looked as good as he normally does since before the Andy Ruiz fight."

Browne has fought just once in the last 18 months but doesn't see his inactivity as a handicap given his personal motivation.

He has been in camp because he was due to return to Russia to fight unbeaten Sergei Kuzmin this month but has shelved that now in favour of tackling Parker for the world title.

He may have to fight before March to get a WBO regional belt and have the world title fight sanctioned. But that suits him.

"I would like to have a nice warmup fight in December or January and then fight Parker in March."

- Stuff
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#44
Boxing: Parker's team open to Russian roulette bout

By: Patrick McKendry
Sports writer

Joseph Parker's team are open to the idea of travelling to Russia to fight Alexander Povetkin next year in a world title bout despite the risks such a journey could bring to the New Zealander and his WBO belt.

The promoters of Povetkin, a Russian who has lost only once in 33 professional fights (by points to Wladimir Klitschko) have launched an ambitious plan for a potential world title clash against Parker in Yekaterinburg, a city of 1.3 million people east of the Ural mountains.

The fight would take place alongside one of the world's biggest trade fairs.

First, Povetkin must beat Christian Hammer on December 15 in what is effectively a WBO eliminator.

Should Povetkin, 38, who has twice tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, beat German Hammer, who has a 22-4 professional record, then he could become the next mandatory challenger to Parker's title.

"He has to win the fight against Hammer first and a lot can happen in the meantime," Parker's promoter David Higgins told the Herald on Sunday. "If the terms were right, we'd consider Povetkin."

Povetkin has already been talked about as a potential opponent by Higgins, and the fighter's promoters appear keen to close on a deal as soon as possible.

"We do not want a one-time fight for Povetkin. We want to make a showdown with Parker in July 2018 under the international exhibition Innoprom [an annual world trade fair] in Yekaterinburg," Alexei Titov told Russian news agency Tass. "This is a big fight for Russia, for Alexander. These are the plans, the long-term perspective. Alexander deserves to become a world champion."

It must be assumed that the terms would need to be very good for Parker to make the trip, as the risks associated with such a journey are considerable. Povetkin is a world-class fighter despite his advancing years, and while travelling to Manchester to fight Hughie Fury was relatively risky for Parker, going to Yekaterinburg, a 2-hour flight east of Moscow, would be another level.

"That exists everywhere," Higgins said of the potential risks. "People can get carried away by Russia."

There is a feeling, too, that Povetkin has faded since his prime of three or four years ago, when he went the distance against Klistchko in Moscow and knocked out Carlos Takam a year later in the same city.

Parker wasn't able to do that against Takam in Auckland last year, and IBF and WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua struggled before stopping Takam in the 10th round in Cardiff last weekend.
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#45
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/98665776/why-joseph-parker-should-fight-lucas-browne-and-not-anthony-joshua-next
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#46
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/98676462/wbo-world-heavyweight-champion-joseph-parker-outlines-his-2018-plans
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#47
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11941922
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#48
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/98699077/eddie-hearn-confirms-joshua-v-parker-is-getting-serious
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#49
Something interesting. Just looking at the height and weight of Dimitrenko - very similar to Joshua. Little head movement, a bit slow and robotic.

Parker could have a real chance here.
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#50
I can't pinpoint it exactly, but it seems like Parker started doing worse in his fights when he quit sparring with Izu. I get your point about Dimitrenko, Kiwi. I think Dimitrenko may be even a touch bigger than AJ. Izu is a touch smaller than AJ, but packs a punch and fights similarly to AJ, although he moves better. So, my thinking is that Izu would be a perfect sparring partner for Joe's fight with AJ.

No one expects Parker to beat AJ. I'm sure the odds would be huge. So, a hungry underdog is just what's needed against AJ.
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