Bob Arum claims Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker close to sealing March 31 bout in Cardiff

Anthony Joshua. Photo / AP.

Veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum claims Anthony Joshua is "very, very close" to finalising a deal to fight Joseph Parker in Cardiff on March 31.

Arum, who co-promotes New Zealand's heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, told the LA Times negotiations are nearly finalised for the bout which would be staged at Principality Stadium in Wales.

"I give Parker a shot with Joshua. Joshua doesn't have a chin, man," Arum told the LA Times. "Parker, you can hit him with a baseball bat and nothing happens.

"Now, I don't say Parker is the second coming of [Vasyl] Lomachenko, but he has a really good chin. 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."

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has proposed a 70-30 split with Parker, whose team is countering for 65-35.

"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.

Negotiations for the blockbuster fight have been ongoing for weeks, with Parker's camp launching an aggressive public campaign to lure Joshua into the ring.

.@anthonyfjoshua 65% & rematch not enough to unify? Believe your own hype? Bubble's gonna burst bro #BigGlassRobot @eddiehearn @d_higgins_duco #NeverBeenDropped pic.twitter.com/HYVAVAtFj8

— Joseph Parker (@joeboxerparker) December 7, 2017

During a news conference last month, Parker offered money for footage of the Briton being knocked down during sparring.

Parker also questioned Joshua's motives this week, with the Briton's promoter, Eddie Hearn, reluctant to meet the WBO champion's asking price of a 35 per cent purse share.

Joshua, 28, told the BBC the 25-year-old was "trying to mislead the public's opinion".

"I think it's not nice, I don't really respect it and I have no time for it," said the IBF and WBA champion. "What's he trying? Be the big bully? Demonise everything I have done?

"In Formula One, golf, tennis, rugby, they are very classy people, respectable about their peers. Then you have people like Joseph Parker holding a press conference talking about everything he thinks I am."

Sometimes all it takes is one punch. 🥊 Proud to open the @UnderArmour Brand House in Amsterdam #IWILL pic.twitter.com/v0R7PuzxVH

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) December 7, 2017

Should the fight happen, the winner could then face WBC title holder Deontay Wilder in a bout which could unify all four major titles in the heavyweight division.