Showtime will have live coverage in the United States of the unification bout of the heavyweight world title between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker, the network announced Monday.
Joshua, who has two title belts, and Parker, who has one, will face each other to bring the division to an undisputed world champion on May 31 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, where a crowd of nearly 80,000 is expected. The start time of the broadcast will be announced, but it is likely to be around 5 pm ET.
Showtime televised the victory of Joshua's title over Charles Martin in April 2016 and has broadcast the four defenses of his title as part of a contract he has with Joshua. But Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had the right to get a Showtime offer for this fight and then offer it on other networks with Showtime while maintaining the right to match any other offer.
Hearn did it in the few weeks since the fight was signed and, in fact, Showtime matched with a strong offer from rival HBO, which, according to one source, offered $1.95 million for the rights to the fight.
The addition of Joshua-Parker adds another elite fight to the already loaded Showtime calendar for the first half of the year. Two weeks ago, the network released its calendar until June and included several high-profile fights, including heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) making a much-anticipated defense against Luis "King Kong" Ortiz ( 28-0, 24 KOs) on March 31 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
That means that Showtime will host the US broadcast of four major heavyweight titles that will be in play in March, with the possibility of a Joshua-Wilder showdown later this year.
"The heavyweight division is in the midst of a renaissance, and Showtime is delivering all the fundamental bouts to our subscribers," said Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza. "Anthony Joshua is a global superstar, and we are proud to present his sixth and perhaps most challenging world title fight to the US audience. Joshua versus Parker will be the 12th Heavyweight World Championship match on Showtime from that Deontay Wilder won his title in 2015, an indisputable industry offer in the preeminent boxing division."
Other significant fights on the Showtime schedule in the first half of the year include lightweight world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) looking for a belt in a fourth weight category by challenging junior welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets (13 -0, 10 KOs) on March 10 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio; a junior middleweight unification bout between Jarrett Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) and coach Erislandy Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs) on April 7 at a site to be determined; the return of injury from unified welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs), who will face an opponent to be determined on May 19 at the Barclays Center along with light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson (29-1 , 24 KOs) defending against former champion Badou Jack (21-1-3, 13 KOs) at a site to be announced in Canada.
Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs), 28, of England, stopped former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round of the 2017 fight last April in front of a total of 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in London to retain your title and win a vacancy. Joshua then knocked out Carlos Takam in the 10th round on October 28, before 78,000 at the Principality Stadium.
Parker (24-0.18 KOs) of New Zealand, 26, won a vacant title by majority decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. in December 2016 in New Zealand and has made two defenses. He won an unbalanced decision against Razvan Cojanu in New Zealand on May 6 and then traveled to Manchester, England and won a majority decision against mandatory challenger Hughie Fury, the cousin of former world champion Tyson Fury, in his hometown on September 23.
You can watch Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker fight live on Showtime in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.
Joshua, who has two title belts, and Parker, who has one, will face each other to bring the division to an undisputed world champion on May 31 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, where a crowd of nearly 80,000 is expected. The start time of the broadcast will be announced, but it is likely to be around 5 pm ET.
Showtime televised the victory of Joshua's title over Charles Martin in April 2016 and has broadcast the four defenses of his title as part of a contract he has with Joshua. But Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had the right to get a Showtime offer for this fight and then offer it on other networks with Showtime while maintaining the right to match any other offer.
Hearn did it in the few weeks since the fight was signed and, in fact, Showtime matched with a strong offer from rival HBO, which, according to one source, offered $1.95 million for the rights to the fight.
The addition of Joshua-Parker adds another elite fight to the already loaded Showtime calendar for the first half of the year. Two weeks ago, the network released its calendar until June and included several high-profile fights, including heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) making a much-anticipated defense against Luis "King Kong" Ortiz ( 28-0, 24 KOs) on March 31 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
That means that Showtime will host the US broadcast of four major heavyweight titles that will be in play in March, with the possibility of a Joshua-Wilder showdown later this year.
"The heavyweight division is in the midst of a renaissance, and Showtime is delivering all the fundamental bouts to our subscribers," said Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza. "Anthony Joshua is a global superstar, and we are proud to present his sixth and perhaps most challenging world title fight to the US audience. Joshua versus Parker will be the 12th Heavyweight World Championship match on Showtime from that Deontay Wilder won his title in 2015, an indisputable industry offer in the preeminent boxing division."
Other significant fights on the Showtime schedule in the first half of the year include lightweight world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) looking for a belt in a fourth weight category by challenging junior welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets (13 -0, 10 KOs) on March 10 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio; a junior middleweight unification bout between Jarrett Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) and coach Erislandy Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs) on April 7 at a site to be determined; the return of injury from unified welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs), who will face an opponent to be determined on May 19 at the Barclays Center along with light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson (29-1 , 24 KOs) defending against former champion Badou Jack (21-1-3, 13 KOs) at a site to be announced in Canada.
Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs), 28, of England, stopped former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round of the 2017 fight last April in front of a total of 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in London to retain your title and win a vacancy. Joshua then knocked out Carlos Takam in the 10th round on October 28, before 78,000 at the Principality Stadium.
Parker (24-0.18 KOs) of New Zealand, 26, won a vacant title by majority decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. in December 2016 in New Zealand and has made two defenses. He won an unbalanced decision against Razvan Cojanu in New Zealand on May 6 and then traveled to Manchester, England and won a majority decision against mandatory challenger Hughie Fury, the cousin of former world champion Tyson Fury, in his hometown on September 23.
You can watch Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker fight live on Showtime in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.