Anthony Joshua calls out Deontay Wilder after win over Joseph Parker

He has now added Parker’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) to his International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organisation titles.

The British heavyweight star added the WBO belt to his IBF and WBA “super” titles as he produced a disciplined display against the rugged Parker to earn a wide unanimous decision with scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 at the Principality Stadium.

While Parker was busy with his jab throughout and moved and defended well, Joshua used his superior reach expertly and was also the fighter coming forward throughout the majority of the bout.

Now the pressure will build for a unification bout with the United States’ Wilder, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion.

ANTHONY JOSHUA WENT the 12-round distance for the first time as a professional in Cardiff tonight, but enjoyed a resounding if not wholly comfortable victory over previously undefeated Kiwi Joseph Parker. PHOTO / Oli SCARFFJoseph Parker (L) absorbs a left from Anthony Joshua (R) of Great Britain during their fight.

The British fighter, buoyed by the support of 80,000 fans in his third consecutive stadium fight (it was Parker’s first), stalked his man methodically, wary of a countering right that has kept the New Zealander unbeaten.

The beaten man admitted he lost to a “better champion” but he at least showed the “granite chin” his camp had built much of their hope on beforehand. “I thought my movements and the body shots [were good]”. I want to go back, train hard and come back stronger.

There’s a happy medium in the heavyweight Divison between such brutality and what we saw in the main event, but Joseph Parker was unable to take it there. “It was light work”, said Joshua, after a mature, patient but hardly headline-grabbing performance.

“I’m not into the business of hype, hype, talk, talk”.

“Wilder – Let’s go baby, let’s go”.

There was drama in the hour or so before the fight when Joshua’s representative watching Parker’s hands being wrapped complained.

Alexander Povetkin and David Price fight for the WBA intercontinental heavyweight championship and will become the mandatory challenger for the belt.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says a unification fight with Wilder needs to happen in 2018 but does not think the American deserves a 50-50 split.

Interestingly, when he was asked who he would like to face next, Joshua replied: “Wilder. or [Tyson] Fury“.

In winning this unification contest, it means only the WBC crown – now belonging to American Deontay Wilder – is missing from Joshua’s collection.

“Get him in the ring and I will knock him spark out”, Joshua boasted.

And anyone who beats a Klitschko – and remember Joshua got off the canvas to do so – deserves a bit more respect than that, especially when your own CV requires so much pumping up. “It’s local. We’re staying right here”. And, despite the few niggles they had during an engaging rather than exciting fight, they embraced at the end, as we knew they would.