Joseph Parker

The world champ spoke to Mantis on Niu FM Breakfast live yesterday from London, after appearing at his first pre-fight conference with Joshua in London.

Parker stood face to face with his opponent for the first time since the announcement of the fight.

He says he's happy the talk is done because he hasn't been feeling like his genuine self.

“Now that the fights locked in, it’s back to the person that I am, so some of the things that I said and the way that I acted, it wasn’t really me and I felt uncomfortable doing it,” he says.

WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion Joshua and WBO belt-holder Parker are set for a unification bout at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on March 31 in a hotly anticipated clash.

In November, before the fight had been agreed, the Parker camp released a video which showed Joshua being knocked down during his amateur days, as well as clips from former sparring partners claiming they had floored him.

At a media conference on Tuesday, Parker's promoter David Higgins spoke up about the issue.

At least, that's what Sala Parker keeps telling herself.

The 26-year-old South Aucklander's title unification fight against Anthony Joshua was finally made official late Sunday night, with an April 1st (NZT) date booked for Cardiff's Principality stadium.

It shapes to be the biggest stage arguably any New Zealand sportsman has ever appeared upon, with an audience of over 80,000 inside the stadium and the eyes of the wider sporting world certain to be tuned in.

The Briton's promoters have confirmed he will put his IBF and WBA belts on the line against WBO champion Parker at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, ending months of lengthy and protracted negotiations between both camps.

Both men will put undefeated records on the line, while the victor will move a step closer to unifying the heavyweight division for the first time since Lennox Lewis achieved the feat in 1999.

WBO champion Parker is desperate to fight WBA and IBF champion Joshua and the big Brit believes a March or April bout in the UK is "realistic".

It seems Parker's unorthodox methods of prompting Joshua into taking the fight are hitting a nerve.

Team Parker have released videos to question Joshua's "glass chin" and repeatedly accused him of greed as the Kiwis haggle for a 35 per cent cut of the net profit from what would be a mega-fight.

Joshua has tried to steer clear of the trash talk though he admits there is a place for the "gutter" element of boxing.

Klitschko, who retired after being knocked out by Joshua in their April fight at Wembley, says he is comfortable with his decision to step away from the boxing ring and believes Joshua is the fighter to carry the glamour division forward.

"I have passed the torch to the younger lion," Klitschko told The Sun.

"I wish, from the bottom of my heart, he continues to carry this torch for a long time and is very successful just like I was. Joshua is capable of unifying the division, absolutely."

WBO champion Parker is in negotiations with IBF and WBA champion Anthony Joshua for a blockbuster bout in Britain in late March.

Talks have been long and difficult but Parker says they are now "very close" to making the fight a reality.

Parker is already working on a game plan and laying the foundations with his current fitness camp in Auckland where weight loss is a key as he tries to regain the speed that set him apart. 

Parker's handlers are in intense negotiations for the WBO world champion to have a unification fight with Joshua, the IBF and WBA belts holder.

That is looking increasingly likely for late March in Britain.

The goal for the winner of that fight will be to then take on WBC champion Wilder to try to be the undisputed world champion.

Parker has that on his mind and more as he plots what he hopes will be a defining year in his career.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn finally seems willing to concede some terms to Team Parker to get the fight done, confirming Cardiff's 78,000 seater Principality Stadium is the most likely venue for March.

"We're close," Hearn told Sky Sports UK. "We're at a stage now where we're having to compromise on certain points that we don't really want to, but ultimately we're going to have to because if you want to fight Anthony Joshua, these guys - they want to be overpaid.

WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua is poised for a blockbuster 2018, with bouts against WBO title-holder Parker, WBC king Deontay Wilder and the unbeaten Tyson Fury all potentially in the offing.

Parker looks set to be Joshua's next opponent in a unification clash, though negotiations have not gone entirely smoothly, with the Briton's camp angered by a media conference staged by the 25-year-old and his team.

Promoter David Higgins, Parker and his trainer Kevin Barry explained why he would defeat the owner of the WBA and IBF straps, who they dubbed 'Glass Jaw Joshua'.