Higgins: Joshua making a ‘grave mistake’ by discussing Wilder

Eccentric promoter David Higgins has been talking in the build up to Joshua vs Parker.

David Higgins, Joseph Parker’s outspoken and eccentric promoter, said that Anthony Joshua is making a “grave mistake” if he is discussing a Deontay Wilder deal instead of focusing on the Parker fight.

“AJ”, the WBA ‘super’ and IBF heavyweight champion, will face the WBO title holder in a huge unification fight on March 31st with but speculation linking the Brit with the WBC king Wilder is rife.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Higgins said:

“All this talk about Deontay Wilder, I think Anthony Joshua looks past Joseph Parker at his peril.”

“Anthony Joshua’s making a grave mistake, if he’s looking past Parker. It’s one thing to quietly analyse future possibilities, but if they are going any further and are in the early stage of negotiations, it’s far too early for any of that.

“I don’t think Joseph Parker or Kevin Barry will be the slightest bit concerned that the Joshua camp are discussing all these other possibilities when they’ve got an unbeaten world champion in front of him, who has never been dropped in his life, and is lightning fast with his hands, and has great footwork.”

Parker and Joshua faced off on Sky TV’s ‘The Gloves Are Off’, and Higgins suggests that his fighter struck a psychological blow.

“I thought Joseph Parker was quite calm and steely confident,” said Higgins.

“He was obviously looking Joshua dead in the eye, without any flinching whatsoever. He certainly wasn’t overawed one bit.

“Joseph managed to get in there a bit of a critique of Joshua, his strengths and weaknesses.

“Joshua was questioned on Parker’s weaknesses, but didn’t come up with any. He didn’t state any weaknesses at all. I think Joseph just had the edge, if I’m honest.”

Parker is nearing the end of a lengthy training camp in Las Vegas, with the 26-year-old due to arrive in Britain next week to complete preparations for the world title fight at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

”He is firing on all cylinders. This camp is the best he’s had,” said Higgins. “I talk to Kevin and Joe most days and there is a calm, confident air.

”Everything is on song, the combinations are being put together. He’s quick, he’s sparring lots of rounds, and everyone is happy. We’re on the home straight and everything is on song.

“This talk of Joe being overawed about being in the UK with 80,000, that doesn’t worry him at all. People don’t know him if they say that. He fought on the [Wladimir] Klitschko undercard in Germany at a sold out event. The most unflappable guy you will meet.

”He knows that my job as a promoter is about making a deal, that’s all done. He knows he is the only one in the ropes and he is focused only on Anthony Joshua. He’s not talking about Deontay Wilder, he’s focused on Anthony Joshua, and he knows what his job is - it is to beat Anthony Joshua.”