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Watch: 'Who knows if he's clean' - Joseph Parker lands jab on Anthony Joshua following confirmation of March 31 title fight

January 15, 2018

Parker embraced his title as 'King of Pies' but made sure he gave his next opponent a designation as well.

Joseph Parker has thrown the first verbal punch since confirmation he and British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight in a unification bout at the end of March, questioning whether his rival will be fighting clean. 

Parker and Joshua will fight each other on March 31 in Cardiff, Wales after months of negotiations and trash-talk.

Read more:  It's on! Joseph Parker's heavyweight unification bout with UK champion Anthony Joshua confirmed

Despite negotiations coming to a close, Parker has already ensured the verbal ping-pong match won't be ending just yet. 

"I call Joshua the 'King of Steroids' because he's so big and muscly - who know's if he's clean or not.

"I'm not saying he is - I'm saying it's a possibility."

Parker bestowed the royal title on Joshua after the British fighter appeared on popular talk show programme the Graham Norton show, where he and the host labelled Parker the "King of Pies".

"Can I just say that looks like it's going to be quite an easy fight," Norton said.

"It's the King of Pies! He must be a world-class athlete, but he doesn't look like one, does he?"

Joshua laughed and suggested "pie" could be Parker's new nickname.

"Shall I give him a nickname? Pie, The Pie," said Joshua.

Parker says he embraces his new title and was happy to admit he'd eaten a couple of the savoury treats over the Christmas break.

"In the last two or three months, I've had a lot of pies - I'm not even lying," he said.

"I enjoy pies, I love the pies in New Zealand, they make the best pies where I live!

"I am the King of Pies."

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