World Boxing Association World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua has confirmed that plans are underway to fight Joseph Parker in his bid to become the undisputed World Champion.
The 28-year-old Joshua currently holds three of the five heavyweight titles, having this year added the WBA and IBO belts to the IBF belt he won in 2016.
Joshua aims to become the first boxer in history to hold all five titles and thinks a deal to fight WBO champion Parker in the next few months is almost done.
In an exclusive interview on BBC five live, Joshua said “What I think can be a reality is, I want to fight for the other championship belts,”
“There’s only two left, I have three. There’s five on the table and I have three of them, I want to fight for the fourth one, the WBO heavyweight championship of the world.
“Negotiations are tough, but, in terms of the love of the sport, I won’t let that get in the way from achieving my goal because legacy is important to me and I think we’re achieving something that,”
“To hold all five belts has never been done before, so I won’t let negotiations get in the way of securing my legacy and what I could achieve in the sport.
“I think we’re 95 per of the way there with completing with Joseph Parker.”
He also suggested he would be willing to fight fellow British boxer Tyson Fury in the new year.
“Of course, he’s a lively opponent when he’s fit,” Joshua said about Fury.
“He has his own battles and demons to face and, once he’s got over them, he’s more than welcome to enter a ring with me. It’s something that we should be focusing on in 2018.
“With all due respect to Tyson Fury, I think it would be wise if his handlers got him a few fights, get the body ticking over again and then get that love for the sport back.
“A few wins under the belt and then we can get it cracking.”
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
