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Parker v Joshua 'very, very close' - Legendary promoter reveals details of heavyweight title showdown

December 10, 2017

Eddie Hearn delivered a message to the Kiwi heavyweight this morning.

A unification heavyweight title fight between Kiwi Joseph Parker and Britain's Anthony Joshua is all but finalised, according to veteran promoter Bob Arum.

With progress between Parker and Joshua's camps over negotiations for a unification bout seeming to have stalled in recent weeks, Arum, 86, dropped the biggest possible hint of a future bout, telling the Los Angeles Times it was "very, very close".

According to Arum, any prospective bout would be held towards the end of March, with Cardiff's Principality Stadium the proposed venue, where Joshua defeated Carlos Takam last month.

The Kiwi heavyweight champion is making sure he’s ready to knock out whoever he ends up fighting.

Thanks to the majority of disagreement between the two camps seeming to revolve around finance, with Parker's camp wanting a 65-35 split, while Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has proposed a 70-30 arrangement, Arum says that an agreement has nearly been reached.

"It seems to me with a little tugging and so forth, they can do 2/3 and 1/3 and that's what I think is going to happen," Arum said.

Arum also said that he was backing WBO champion Parker for an upset victory over IBF and WBA title holder Joshua.

"I give Parker a shot with Joshua. Joshua doesn’t have a chin, man. Parker, you can hit him with a baseball bat and nothing happens."

"He's a tough guy, and he hits OK. Joshua's been hurt in a lot of fights. I don't demean him, but Parker has a hell of a chance."

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