Boxing: Parker is 'demonising' me, Anthony

Anthony Joshua says Joseph Parker's comment are "not nice". Photo / Photosport

British champion Anthony Joshua has slammed Joseph Parker's "negotiation tactics", claiming the Kiwi fighter is trying to "demonise" his reputation in order to secure a heavyweight unification bout.

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

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."

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.

Joshua beat Wladimir Klitschko to claim the WBA title in April, and followed that success with victory over Carlos Takam in October.

"This is the first time in my career where the talk has been about money," added Joshua. "That's what's holding it up. With Klitschko, it wasn't about the money, it was about getting the fight together for the belts. With Parker, it's a different story, and Wilder.

"No disrespect for them, they have their reasons, but I feel like the fans are not getting what they want.

"It would have been great to have it pencilled in now but it will happen in the future once they come to their senses. What they are offering is nothing, and what we are offering is 10 times better than what they can bring up themselves," said Joshua.