By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has the skills and power to upset the WBA/IBF champion Anthony Joshua according to David Higgins who manages the New Zealander.

“It’s become apparent that Eddie and his two bigger-named boxers are all leveling various criticisms at Joseph Parker… the boxers suggesting he is beatable and Eddie talking down the fight a bit, probably wanting to pay less,” Higgins told Fairfax news. “We aren’t going to have Eddie Hearn low-ball us, because we are from New Zealand or because he didn’t like the Hughie Fury fight.”

“I think everyone should step back, take the emotion out of it and look at the facts. The facts are that boxers in Joseph’s resume, like Andy Ruiz and Carlos Takam, are avoided and are arguably better than many of the boxers on Joshua’s resume, Wladimir Klitschko excepted.

“Joshua has been laid out on his back more than once. Dillian Whyte shook him up, Klitschko put him down and there are rumors around incidents in sparring that I wouldn’t speculate on.

“Joseph has never been put on his back in fighting or sparring. In boxing parlance, it means that he has got a good chin…look, it could go either way and Eddie Hearn will know that – it’s the heavyweight division and any heavyweight can knock out an opponent with the perfect punch.

“So that’s why we are quite excited about the Joshua possibility, but it’s it a fight we would only take if the deal was right. We won’t be low-balled.”