JOSEPH PARKER’S team are chasing a near 50-50 purse split to fight Anthony Joshua.
The Brit’s promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested an 80-20 division in favour of AJ.
But WBO champ Parker wants a far higher pay-day to reflect his status as a world title holder.
Promoter David Higgins said: “We’ve got various options and we are really close to one in particular, rather than Joshua.
“But we would fight Joshua next if the money is right. We’re not at all worried about Joshua as a competitive threat.
“It would be a close fight but we won’t shy away from it. It’s a fight that Joseph would take and I’m sure his trainer isn’t worried about. But the money has to be right.”
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“It’s disrespectful for the fact that Joseph has earned one of the credible heavyweight belts.
“So has Joshua, so it should be much closer to 50-50 than what was put on the table.”
‘ROBOTIC’ Anthony Joshua branded ‘slow’ by heavyweight rival Joseph Parker after Carlos Takam win
IBF, WBA and IBO champ Joshua, 28, vowed to clean up the heavyweight division after his 10th-round stoppage of Carlos Takam.
That leaves Parker, 25, and WBC king Deontay Wilder, 32, standing in his way.
And Higgins explained his man is not worried about facing Joshua – insisting he has a better chin.
He added: “No one in our camp was shaking in their boots.
“I think they will be worried about both, Wilder is tricky and Joseph has got a better chin than Joshua.
“Eddie is talking about all sorts of different things at the same time. It’s all gamesmanship. Eddie will look at the best risk-return I’d say.
“If he is dead serious, he will give me a call or an email and we will start negotiations.”
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