Nadal in doubt
World No 1 Rafael Nadal is in doubt for the Australian Open after aborting plans to play in leadup events in Brisbane and Sydney. Nadal hasn’t played since losing to David Goffin at the World Tour Finals in London and then immediately pulling out of the season-ending championships in mid-November with a knee injury. The Spaniard was scheduled to return to the court at the season-opening Brisbane International starting on Saturday but says he’s not yet ready for competitive tennis. New Zealander Joseph Parker’s hopes for a world heavyweight unification fight with Anthony Joshua have taken a significant step closer to reality with the arrival of a formal contract.
The ‘‘substantial document’’ has been delivered from Joshua’s boss Eddie Hearn and is now in the hands of Parker’s promoter David Higgins.
Higgins revealed there had been ‘‘concessions’’ from the Joshua camp and Parker’s slice of the mega-fight will be in the range of 30-35 per cent.
Higgins asked that the contract be shaped along the lines of Joshua’s fight with Wladimir Klitschko in London earlier this year, fight that attracted 90,000 to Wembley and was a global TV extravaganza.
‘‘I did that in the belief that the Klitschko camp will essentially have done a lot of the hard work for us,’’ Higgins said yesterday.
‘‘If we use that as the template, it will be reasonably balanced.’’
Higgins has taken that a step further, tracking down Kiltschko’s London-based lawyer. He will will cast an eagle eye over Parker’s deal to make sure it stacks up.
If the details are satisfactory, Higgins will board a plane to London next week to work out the final fine-print and ink a deal unprecedented in New Zealand boxing history and making for one of the biggest occasions in the country’s proud sporting history.
It is believed Parker could earn has much as $12m and the spoils down the line could be even bigger if he can win.
Higgins revealed the rematch clause in the contract would see a victorious Parker get a 55 per cent share of the spoils for the sequel.
The arrival of the contract signals a decisive moment from weeks of negotiations.
‘‘Joshua versus Parker has never been closer to happening,’’ a thrilled Higgins said.
‘‘Eddie Hearn has been a pleasure to work with . . . he’s smart and decisive and doesn’t have an ego. If we have good points he will listen, even though we are the smaller side.’’
He said there were still ‘‘a few things to work through’’.
The date and venue are still up in the air but it looks likely to be in the UK in late March or early April as Parker puts his WBO belt on the line against Joshua.
Higgins revealed the rematch clause in the contract would see Parker, if he beat Joshua, get a 55 per cent share of the spoils for the sequel.
He is also eager to have total neutrality with the fight officials – the referee and three judges.
‘‘My strong preference is for allneutral, no British, no New Zealand . .th. they don’t need to be under pressure and such huge scrutiny. I personally don’t think Eddie will have a problem with that, it will be the British Boxing Board of Control, they will be key to this,’’ Higgins said.
Higgins said there was a sense of pride in his camp as the fight talk progressed towards reality.
‘‘We are proud of the result in terms of how far we have got for Team Parker from where this all began. At the beginning the percentage on offer to us was minuscule.