Joshua: Parker will be a much tougher than Wilder
With the latest Anthony Joshua 'national holiday' now 10 days away, Great Britain's much-loved world heavyweight champion has described Joseph Parker as a far tougher test than the big-punching Deontay Wilder.
Joshua is currently putting the finishing touches on the preparation for his three-belt unification clash with WBO titlist Parker at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on March 31.
But despite the most significant fight of Joshua's career looming large, much of the talk in the build up has instead surrounded a transatlantic showdown with Wilder later this year.
Joshua, the WBA and IBF champion, is a huge Easter Saturday favourite with the bookmakers, many of whom are offering prices for Joshua-Wilder already. But the 6ft 6in Londoner is adamant he is not looking past his undefeated visitor from New Zealand.
Instead, the 28-year-old from Watford believes 26-year-old Parker will be a harder fight than any potential clash with Alabama's Wilder, who will be ringside in Cardiff on commentary duty.
“When you talk about Parker you talk about his speed, his stamina and he's got a good chin,” said Joshua when asked to assess his next opponent's qualities. “Parker doesn't throw many combination punches, but he throws more [than Wilder]. There has never been one champion in the heavyweight division that relied solely on power and one punch.
“Parker has a bit more all-round game; left hook, right hand, swings one right to the body, he likes a left hook to the body. I haven't seen Wilder throw that many body shots. Wilder relies on the right hand, so I think Parker is a better all rounder.
“There are more stats and facts than he just has a big right hand. Parker has an all-round game, that is what makes it a dangerous fight."
For the third fight running, Joshua has needed a major national stadium in order to house all the people willing to pay to watch him in the flesh. When he beat Carlos Takam in Cardiff back in November, he set a record for the largest indoor boxing crowd in history. Now he will be the favourite for the first ever fight on British soil between two undefeated world heavyweight champions. Alongside Mexican middleweight Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, Joshua is the biggest star operating in boxing today and arguably the most famous face in the whole of British sport.
But Joshua is adamant he does not feel the pressure when he locks himself away here at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport for training camp.
He said: “When I fight it's like a national holiday but I don't feel it. The only pressure is what I put on myself isn't it? I know that boxing doesn't stop here. The pressure is more performance, I know I can slug out a win, we have always got that.
“It's based on performance to make your stock rise. Opinions are always good. If Parker loses, he will come again and vice versa. The pressure is on performance because if you perform then the outcome is a win.
There is always going to be pressure win or lose. “People who really study or watch boxing know how big of a fight this is, that's why Parker is taking it dead
serious and so am I. It's big news for this current time in the heavyweight division.”
On the issue of pressure, his promoter Eddie Hearn added: “Everyone expects him to win every fight easy, just look at the odds. There's a massive presumption that he is going to knock everyone out.
That's added pressure. I don't think he feels it though. The odds for this fight are crazy, he's a massive favourite for a fight with two undefeated champions.
“I think technically this is a tougher fight than Wilder."