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Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker unification bout to air on Showtime

By Mike Heck

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker pose during an Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker Press Conference at the Dorchester Hotel on January 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker pose during an Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker Press Conference at the Dorchester Hotel on January 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /
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Showtime has added the heavyweight title unification bout between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker to their 2018 schedule.

A heavyweight championship unification bout between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker has a television home for March 31.

Showtime confirmed on Monday that the network will air the heavyweight showdown at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Joshua is the IBF, IBO and WBA heavyweight champion, while the unbeaten Parker is the WBO heavyweight titleholder.

Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza, like most of us, is starting to see an exciting shift in heavyweight boxing.

“The heavyweight division is in the midst of a renaissance, and Showtime is delivering all of the pivotal bouts to our subscribers,” said Espinoza, Executive Vice President of Sports and Event Programming for Showtime (h/t CBS Sports). “Anthony Joshua is a global superstar, and we’re proud to present his sixth, and perhaps most challenging, world title fight to the U.S. audience.”

Joshua is looking to make it 21 straight wins while adding a third title belt to his mantle. In his most recent appearance, Joshua defeated Carlos Takem via 10th round TKO back in October of last year. He captured the WBA and IBO titles when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko by TKO in the 11th round of their bout last April.

Parker captured the WBO heavyweight title when he defeated Andy Ruiz by majority decision back in December 2016. Since then, he defended the title twice in 2017, earning a unanimous decision over Razvan Cojanu in May, and a majority decision over Hughie Fury at Manchester Arena in September.

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The heavyweight bout will be the 12th the network has aired since 2015 and will be the first title unification bout between unbeaten fighters since Mike Tyson defeated Tony Tucker back in 1987. “Iron” Mike added the IBF heavyweight title to his collection that included the WBA and WBC championships.

Showtime will kick off their bus season on Feb. 17 when Danny Garcia takes on Brandon Rios in a welterweight bout in Las Vegas. The network will also broadcast another heavyweight title fight, for the WBC heavyweight championship, between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz on March 3 in Brooklyn, NY.

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