WBO heavyweight champion Jospeh Parker is still hopeful of a showdown with Anthony Joshua in 2018 and has challenged his fellow world title holders, including WBC holder Deontay Wilder, to see who the real heavyweight champion is.
Eddie Hearn has been in negotiations with Parker’s camp over a unification bout with WBA and IBF champion Joshua, although there have been roadblocks along the way.
“I’m very happy [that negotiations are progressing] and that is one of the reasons that I am being a bit loud on Twitter a little bit more if because if we weren’t talking on Twitter then they wouldn’t be negotiating with us,” Parker told ESPN. “Negotiations were at a standstill, but after a few tweets we are back at it again. It is exciting to be negotiating, exciting to see if we can make it happen.”
While the negotiations are not quite there yet, the New Zealander remains optimistic that both camps can come to a suitable agreement.
“I’m hopeful it can happen in 2018. I have enjoyed what I have done in my career so far, but as a champion, I want to see who the real champion is, who the top [fighter is] and I think someone should unify the belts. It is one of the things we should make happen. I’m pretty keen to make it happen in 2018. That’s my goal.
“When we looked at it, voluntary [defence] was 20 per cent, mandatory is 30 per cent so it is only fair that when you unify it’s 40 per cent. That is what I think is fair. I’m not saying that is what is going to happen. I think we will negotiate and see what everyone is happy with.”
Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) made a second successful defence of his WBO title after defeating Hughie Fury in September, and has viewed a unification bout with Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) since the Englishman stopped Carlos Takam.
Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs), meanwhile, threw his hat into the ring after his knocking out Bermane Stiverne inside three minutes, but Parker has felt that he has not received the respect a world champion deserves.
In recent weeks, Joshua, Wilder and Tyson Fury have all taken to social media ahead of potential fights, while Parker has stayed relatively quiet.
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