Anthony Joshua hits out at WBO title holder Joseph Parker over bizarre press conference as rivalry intensifies

Joshua has responded strongly and says Parker has damaged the credibility of the world title

Anthony Joshua has been on holiday in Dubai (Getty)

Anthony Joshua has broken his silence on this week's bizarre press conference involving the WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, which he says has damaged the credibility of the world title.

Parker was present as his promotional company, Duco Events, staged a press conference at midday on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand during which they showed a compilation of Joshua getting knocked down.

Duco boss David Higgins, who earlier this year gatecrashed a London press conference when he was accused of being intoxicated, also declared his fighter should be entitled to no less than a 35 per cent split for any fight against WBA and IBF champion Joshua.

Meanwhile, the Londoner looked on in bemusement as Higgins, Parker and his trainer Kevin Barry also delivered a detailed explanation as to why the undefeated New Zealander would beat 'Glass Jaw Joshua'.

But the London 2012 Olympic medalist, who is currently on holiday at Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai, has now had his say on the scarcely believable press conference, which was seemingly filmed on a mobile phone at Duco Events' office.

“Parker is investing his time in the wrong areas,” Joshua said. “Does he want publicity? It it a PR stunt? It's not about worrying about how we fight.

“I fought Wladimir Klitschko too early but the opportunity came and we managed to come together with one of the all-time greats, we put on a show with no complaints.

“So what is so difficult about fighting this little kid who is doing press conferences? It's very unprofessional of them. The heavyweight championship is such a respected title to have but stuff like that takes away from the crème de la crème of the title.

“Boxing is not complicated when working with us. They need to put their egos aside and stop doing silly things like that press conference.”

There has been much talk of Joshua and Parker meeting in the spring in a unification clash for the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.

Eddie Hearn, who recently labelled Higgins "nutty b******s" as a result of the press conference, has been deep in talks with Parker's team about the fight but insists Parker is not worthy of a 35 per cent share of the revenues from fighting Joshua.

But Joshua has also set his sights on the WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, who is back in the gym as he bids to stage a comeback to boxing.

Parker, right, holds the WBO heavyweight world title (Getty)

“I think I know what I have to do with Wilder,” Joshua said. “Parker? I don't disregard him but I think I'd smack Parker around the ring, no problem.

“Wilder? I'd knock Wilder out, it would take a bit of time but I'd definitely knock him out. Parker would take a bit more of a pasting but I'd get to him. Wilder, I'd knock him out with one shot. Not like I'd go in there and bang but when I catch Wilder, I'd definitely knock him out.”

But Joshua believes of the three, his fellow Brit Fury, whom he sparred with once during his time as an amateur at Finchley ABC, would represent his biggest test.

The self-styled Gypsy King is currently not licensed by the British Boxing Board of Control but his UK Anti Doping hearing will resume in December.

Fury is under investigation for a doping charge that alleges he used performance-enhancing drugs and refused to give a sample to testers. He denies all charges and believes he will end a two-year absence from the ring in 2018.

Joshua recently caused a stir on social media when he sent a Tweet to Fury, currently badly overweight, simply saying: 'get fit you fat f***' as he eyes a money-spinning domestic showdown in the new year. However, he does believe that Fury's unpredictable nature could cause him problems in the ring.

“Fury is tall and I think he's a bit of a nut-job to be honest with you,” Joshua said. “I think he's just got a bit of a screw loose. Any man with a screw loose even if it is just in business, they just have a little something that you can't put your finger on. So with Fury it would be tricky to figure him out.

“And Fury would be a real breakdown job, a real gruesome type fight. Kind of like that Klitschko fight – I'll go to hellfire and back to get the win.”

Like 20-0 Joshua, Fury is currently undefeated having won all 25 of his fights, the last of which came when he famously dethroned Klitschko in Dusseldorf on November 28, 2015.

The victory is largely considered one of the finest overseas performances by a British boxer as he inflicted Klitschko's first defeat for 11 years via a unanimous points decision.

Joshua, however, was not impressed and insists his victory over Klitschko, when he stopped the Ukrainian icon in the 11th round of their Wembley epic in April, is better.

“Fury boxed 12 rounds and ran,” Joshua said. “I don't respect that. If I'm the King of Dubai in the olden days and a different empire comes to take my territory, you don't come and steal my treasure – that's what Fury's done I think.

“He stole the boxing from Klitschko in the sense that he just boxed and moved. If an up and coming king wants to take the king's treasure, you look him in the face and put the dagger in his chest. You don't stay from afar and slash, slash. You go to war and that is what me and Klistchko did.

“The new king is announced if you really dethrone the old king, you knock him out and took him out of the throne and now you sit on the throne. If you go to points you're only as good as the last champion. You have to knock out the old champion to show you're stronger and fiercer.

“If I went out there and went 12 rounds with Klitschko then we are just as good as each other. The judges made the decision on the fight, I went out there and knocked him out. I took the belts from him. I didn't leave it to judges.”