Parker penned for Joshua

ANTHONY JOSHUA expects to make the next defence of his IBF heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker in November.

Before then, and after Saturday’s seventh-round stoppage of American Dominic Breazeale, he plans to take a rest, with one of his next assignments being to commentate on Team GB’s boxing squad at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.

The win over Breazeale represented both the finest performance of Joshua’s career and the first defence of his title.

The 26-year-old demonstrated increasing maturity and patience against a resilient opponent, who took the heaviest of punches until referee Howard Foster waved the fight over after a second knockdown in quick succession. Fellow Briton David Haye, a ringside commentator, again spoke of his desire for what would be a big-money fight against Joshua.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, however, revealed that New Zealand-born Parker is their favoured option once Joshua has recovered from the intense run that began with February’s announcement of his fight with Charles Martin.

Asked when Joshua will next return to the ring, Hearn said: “November.

“We like the Joseph Parker fight, that’s the mandatory, we’ll have to deal with that at some point, whether that’s November, December or whether that’s March, April – that’s a good fight.

“Wladimir Klitschko is a fight we’d love as well but I’m always reluctant to make a fight of that magnitude in November.

“Anthony needs a long rest. He needs to go and be a young boy, go and sit on the beach with his mates and mess around. It has been absolutely relentless.

“He had a virus for a couple of weeks and there were times we were considering taking the Breazeale fight or not.

“After the Martin fight [when Joshua won the title] because of the commercial deals, it has been non-stop: broadcasters, sponsors... the one worry for this fight was burnout.”

Joshua said: “I’m in a good position. Deontay Wilder [WBC champion], Tyson Fury, David Haye, I’d fight any one of them – and they all want me.

“I’ve got a good relationship with the Team GB boys. I’ve known them for years.

“I will be doing some commentary work on them at the Olympics.

“But the main thing is I really want to catch up with my family and spend some time at home.”