By Tim Royner: IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua says Tyson Fury is welcome to walk WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker to the ring for their unification fight on March 31 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Parker and Tyson Fury are on good terms. Fury recently picked the 26-year-old Parker to defeat Joshua. Fury thinks Parker has got the talent to hand Joshua a huge defeat on March 31. Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) being by Parker’s side as he walks to the ring might give him a mental boost for what could be a very difficult fight against the unbeaten Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) on Sky Box Office.
Parker will be dangerous if he’s motivated for the fight with Joshua, especially if he brings his killer instinct that he exhibits in his fights from time to time. There’s 2 different Parkers. There’s the boxer, who looks to win with finesse, and then there’s the slugger. When Parker is looking to knockout his opponents, he’s very dangerous.
“It’s good. It brings attention to the sport,” Joshua said to Sky Sports News about Fury escorting Parker into the ring. ”No matter what [Fury] says outwardly, he has a lot of underlying respect for me.”
It might not bother Joshua to have Fury accompanying Parker for his ring walk on the night of their fight on March 31, but it sure would get the boxing fans excited at ringside at the Principality Stadium. If Fury is serious about wanting to fight Joshua in the summer, there’s no better way to get off to an early start attracting attention to that fight then walking Parker to the ring.
It would be a great PR stunt for Fury if Parker is on board with him accompanying him to the ring. Fury likely has some good tips for Parker to help him beat Joshua. Fury would be better off keeping those tips to himself though, as he’s better off fighting an unbeaten Joshua than he is if he’s coming off a defeat to Parker.
Whether Fury has respect for Joshua or not is unclear. I don’t think it really matters. If Fury respects Joshua, it doesn’t mean that he’s going to fight any less hard when the two of them face each other. Fury won’t let up just because he has respect for Joshua. If Fury doesn’t have respect for Joshua, it’s not going to save him from losing to him if he lacks the talent to beat him. Joshua shouldn’t get too caught up in worrying about whether Fury respects him or not. He needs to keep his focus on his fight with Parker, because that guy is going to be looking to take his head off on March 31 when the 2 of them meet up to settle it inside the ring.
“I don’t take anything from him to heart and if he wants he is welcome to walk to the ring,” said Joshua.