Wilder eyeing Parker fight

Washington – Unbeaten heavyweight Deontay Wilder (above) will have a ringside view of rival champions Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko in their Wembley Stadium unification showdown on Saturday and hopes to fight the winner by December.

The 31-year-old American, who holds the World Boxing Council crown, will serve as a television analyst when Britain’s unbeaten Joshua defends his International Boxing Federation crown and vies for the vacant World Boxing Association title before a sellout crowd of more than 90 000.

Wilder, 38-0 with 37 knockouts, has owned the WBC crown for two years and wants a July fight with New Zealand’s unbeaten Joseph Parker, the WBO champion, with that winner to meet the Joshua-Klitschko victor.

Parker, 22-0 with 18 knockouts, had a planned May fight against Britain’s Hughie Fury called off on Saturday.

“I want Parker in July,” Wilder said. “What would be better than me fighting him and then at the end of the year fighting for one undisputed title? I’m looking forward to unifying this division and bringing it back to America.”

Wilder took some verbal swipes at Joshua and Klitschko, citing the Englishman’s past foes as lacklustre and the ex-champion as possibly too far past his prime.

Klitschko, who used Wilder as a sparring partner in more than 50 rounds, is 41 and lost his title to Tyson Fury in his most recent fight 17 months ago.

“I hope Klitschko brings Klitschko. I think he’s ready. He’s going to teach Joshua a lot of things in the ring.”