Joseph Parker has made headlines lately regarding deals but this time it looks like one will be made.
The WBO World heavyweight champions promoter Dave Higgins claimed last week that he was offered an 80-20 split in favour of Anthony Joshua by Matchroom. Naturally, Team Parker wasn’t happy about the offer declined it.
“I think Eddie is offering [Parker] 20 percent [of the purse] to kill the fight because he’s worried his golden goose might get beaten. I think he’s offering that on purpose so he can go in another direction. He knows that we won’t take 20 percent. It’s an insult,” told Higgins according to ESPN.
Eddie Hearn went on Twitter and wrote that no such deal was ever offered and labeled the New Zealander’s ‘very strange’.
No offer has been made to Team Parker
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) November 2, 2017
With the Joshua fight seemingly being out of the picture, the Kiwi fighter is really close to another deal against a former world champion.
Boxingscene.com reports that a fight between Parker and former WBA World heavyweight champion Lucas Browne is one signature short of an official fight deal being done.
“I’ve heard that his trainer, his promoter, his matchmaker, have all said ‘yes, no problem’, it’s actually Parker himself that’s holding it up,” said Browne to AAP according to boxingscene.com
Ready to go with @joeboxerparker . I respect him plenty, but I think it’ll be great trying to punch holes through him too! pic.twitter.com/X8m2poqJVg
— Lucas Browne (@lucasBrowne) November 7, 2017
The Australian’s manager Matt Clark also commented on the current fight talks.
“They’ve offered us a deal, we’ve agreed, we’re ready to go, so if the fight doesn’t happen it’ rests solely on Joseph Parker,” Clark told AAP.
The unbeaten heavyweight Browne famously made headlines due to use banned substances and has fought just once in 20 months. He won the WBA heavyweight title by defeating Ruslan Chagaev in 2016 but was stripped due to testing positive and Chagaev was reinstated as champion.
But Browne says he wasn’t aware at the time that he was using banned substances.
“I now unfortunately look like a two-times drug cheat without really doing much at all. The first time with Chechnya that wasn’t me, the second time was my own doing, I went into a shop and walked out with it and I didnt check it properly,” explained Browne.
The Australian boxer wants to fight Parker because he feels a fight against the Kiwi would spark up the ongoing rivalry between Australia and New Zealand. But Browne also believes the WBO titleholder is the weakest one of the three world heavyweight champions.
Back in action with my team @barkers 👊🏼👔 pic.twitter.com/nQBxaQlG56
— Joseph Parker (@joeboxerparker) October 25, 2017
“I think Parker is probably the weakest out of the three and I’d love to capitalise on that,” said Browne.
It’s expected that Parker will accept and the fight will happen in March 2018.
READ MORE:
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Report: Matchroom Offered Parker An 80-20 Split In Joshua’s Favour
Eddie Hearn Declines Making Any Offer To Parker
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