Parker OK with Joshua having lion’s share of purse
Joseph Parker’s promoter is prepared to give Anthony Joshua 60 per cent of a deal to unify three of the four heavyweight belts.
Joshua’s backer Eddie Hearn is courting WBO champion Parker and WBC champion Deontay Wilder for the rights to fight his IBF and WBA belt holder and would like the next deal done by the end of the month.
Duco Events boss David Higgins has made a move on the bidding table, dropping his cut as negotiations ramp up.
‘‘I will make an offer. I will underwrite and promote the fight anywhere in the world to give Joshua 60 per cent profit,’’ Higgins told Sky Sports in the UK as interest in the potential super fights builds there.
‘‘The starting point is 50-50. But as a mark of respect, we would accept a bit less. But we will not accept an insult. Why should we?
‘‘We’re in talks, 100 per cent. Joseph wants the fight but the deal has to be fair and reasonable. If they treat it like a regular voluntary, that devalues it.
‘‘We’re not selling our belt. We are going to take Joshua’s belts, and we will be paid for our time.’’
Parker is eager to get Joshua ahead of Wilder, believing the big Brit ‘‘is there for the taking’’.
‘‘For us, March of April [would be suitable] depending on if it’s indoors or outdoors,’’ Higgins said.
‘‘If I was the promoter I’d look at Wembley or [the Principality Stadium in Cardiff]. The UK is the centre of heavyweight boxing today. Eddie Hearn is very straightforward. He wants to make big fights happen. Despite the banter, the guy genuinely wants to unify [the world titles]. We have respect for them.’’
The second date would likely be in July or August – if Joshua still has majority control of the division.
Hearn continued to publicly question Parker’s value, though he insisted they want the fight.
Hearn on Sky Sports: ‘‘The Parker deal is a tough deal to make. Parker isn’t a big name and hasn’t looked great but he is a world champion, and Anthony wants his belt.
‘‘If we can’t get Wilder next, we want Parker. My instructions from Joshua are: ‘I want to be the undisputed champion of the world by the end of 2018’. That means going through Parker and Wilder in any particular order.’’
Hearn is under pressure to get a deal done relatively quickly.
‘‘Our goal is to box either in February or March 2018 – it’s a case of when, where, who,’’ Hearn said.
Parker has worthy alternatives to Joshua in terms of money, so he won’t be low-balled into a unification fight for the sake of it.
Lucrative title defences in Australia, the United States, China and Russia are possible.