Britannia rules in boxing’s new order

The fact you can count on one finger the number of heavyweight boxers with any decent profile in the US says it all. With Anthony Joshua captivating the British audience and no shortage of contenders who offer plenty of box office appeal, the States is no longer the place to be. Well, not for heavyweights, anyway.

The UK has overtaken America as the home of the heavy hitters and that is where Joseph Parker needs to focus his attention or risk missing out on the riches on offer.

Don’t get me wrong, chasing a unification fight with American WBC champion Deontay Wilder has its upside and may well be an easier alternative to a megabucks bout with Joshua.

But the options in the US seem limited – and far less lucrative.

With a perfect record of 38-0, and all bar one of those victories via KO, you would expect fans to hanging off every Wilder punch. But it’s not like he has reinvigorated the division in the US.

Four of his five title defences have been in Birmingham, Alabama. Hardly a hotbed of boxing.

And other than Wilder, the American heavyweight cupboard is pretty bare. I can’t see pay-per-view audiences rushing to watch Parker take on Dominic Breazeale or Jarrell Miller.

On the flip side, the British heavyweight scene is thriving on the back of Joshua’s success, whose upcoming fight against Kubrat Pulev in Cardiff sold 70,000 tickets the day they went on sale.

Below Joshua, there are a several established boxers each with their own healthy following.

Fighters like David Haye, Tony Bellew, Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora are all viable options for Parker to boost his record, not to mention former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, should he decide to return to the ring.

Haye and Bellew, in particular, are two winnable fights that could generate significant revenue for the Kiwi.

Granted, this weekend’s title defence against Hughie Fury has proven a tougher sell than expected. But the UK public has every right to reserve judgment.

Despite holding the WBO belt, Parker has yet to prove himself to the casual British fan, having achieved all of his success in a boxing outpost on the other side of the world. Hughie Fury, meanwhile, has spent his entire career in cousin Tyson’s shadow and has not had a sanctioned fight in more than a year.

But if Parker can make a statement in Manchester it won’t take long for them to get on board.

The plan for Parker seems straightforward.

Set up shop in the UK and proceed to build up his skills, fan base and bank balance with a handful of fights, culminating in a lucrative showdown with Joshua.

While this weekend’s promotion has not gone to plan, an explosive performance, which Parker has promised, would set him on that path.

It would seem a waste to up and change course, having just put a foot in the door.

‘‘The UK has overtaken America as the home of the heavy hitters.’’ Marvin France