JOSHUA TO FACE PARKER IN CARDIFF SHOWDOWN
The worst kept secret in sport is out and the first super fight of the new year is on. Anthony Joshua will meet New Zealand’s Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on March 31. Joshua’s campaign to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis begins here. If he succeeds in that ambition, Joshua will go one better than Lewis because a fifth belt, the IBO, has since been added to the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Joshua will bring his tally up to four if he defeats the also undefeated Parker, who is currently the WBO champion. Joshua will be a huge betting favourite but Parker is threatening to ‘smash the glass jaw’ of the muscular Englishman, who he believes to be overrated. Joshua is returning to the Cardiff scene of his last fight, the harder-thanexpected victory over Carlos Takam. Joshua says: ‘These unification fights can be tough as we saw, but on that night I came out with my belts and we both received massive respect.’ Parker insists that he will pull off a huge upset against the man who described him as ‘that little kid from New Zealand’. Nevertheless, the question is already being asked as to how soon Joshua can complete what is now the full set of heavyweight belts by taking on America’s WBC champion Deontay Wilder. In anticipation of Joshua beating Parker, the wheels are already turning towards the Wilder fight in Las Vegas this summer, which would be AJ’s first venture into the fight capital of the world and another major step towards marketing himself in the US. Should he be first to pull the trigger between the two, then the stage will be set for a return to Wembley for the domestic bonanza to which Tyson Fury is agitating. Fury must first succeed in his application to be relicensed following drugs suspensions, then train off his surplus poundage in order to impress in at least one comeback fight. He hopes to make his return to the ring in April. Speaking further about the Parker fight, Joshua said: ‘These fights aren’t easy because there is a lot on the line, so I give respect to team Parker for taking this challenge. ‘I love this game. I am looking forward to it. My training camp is underway and, before you know it, March 31 will be upon us.’