Anthony Joshua fighting for blockbuster Las Vegas debut as Eddie Hearn sets sights on showdown with Deontay Wilder

Hearn has sights set on showdown in Las Vegas
Stu Forster/Getty Images
John Dillon29 March 2018

Anthony Joshua will be fighting for the chance of a blockbuster debut in Las Vegas against Deontay Wilder when he takes on Joseph Parker on Saturday.

The impressive new T-Mobile Arena in the US boxing capital has moved to the head of the list of potential venues for a heavyweight unification clash between Joshua and the American this summer.

The Londoner’s WBA, IBF and IBO title belts will be on the line in the unification clash, as well as the WBO version, if he beats Kiwi Parker.

But the New Zealander warned: “He’s got to be careful because there is something in the way before he gets to Wilder... me.”

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, is aware that his fighter will need a fresh challenge to raise his status in America if he is successful in his third consecutive stadium fight in Britain against Parker.

The 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena has become America’s premier fight venue since it opened in 2016 and would be a fitting place to stage the heavyweight showdown.

It staged the Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Conor McGregor ‘boxing v MMA event’ last year and the first mega-fight between superstar middleweights Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, with a re-match set for May.

Joshua’s popularity here is unprecedented in boxing and while travelling to the US is expensive, hordes of fans would be certain to follow Joshua to Las Vegas in even bigger numbers than the 15,000 supporters who attended Ricky Hatton’s fights Stateside.

In Pictures | Anthony Joshua's professional fights

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Hearn’s hope now is that a fight to decide the undisputed heavyweight championship against the unbeaten WBC champion Wilder will be next on the agenda for 28-year-old Joshua after Saturday.

Hearn said: “We are not taking anything for granted. Parker is Anthony’s toughest fight yet, but if the Wilder fight was on, we could fill the T-Mobile with Brits alone.

“Ricky Hatton was the man in the pub. AJ is not the same but he is still accessible and a man of the people. He would take the same numbers or even more to Las Vegas.

“The Wilder fight, for me, should happen in 2018 if Anthony beats Parker. If it’s for the undisputed championship, it should be, potentially, one fight away.

“In the past, the mentality would have been to take your time. But Wilder nearly lost to Luis Ortiz earlier this month. Anything can happen in the heavyweights.”

​Dillian Whyte, Joshua’s stablemate in Hearn’s promotional camp, is the WBC’s No1 contender having knocked out Australia’s Lucas Browne at the O2 Arena last weekend — and he himself is keen on fighting Wilder. But the WBC would waive that to facilitate a unification match between Wilder, who is unbeaten in 40 fights and won 39 by KO, and Joshua. The WBA would also grant an exception to allow the unification match to take place ahead of a mandatory defence by Joshua of their belt.

Joshua has a contract clause stipulating a rematch if he is beaten by Parker and it would most likely take place in England.

However, the 26-year-old Parker added: “We respect Joshua but we are here to take the belts back to New Zealand.”

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