The heavyweight title unification bout on March 31 between IBF and WBA world champion Anthony Joshua and unbeaten WBO titleholder Joseph Parker now has an American television home.
Just weeks after announcing a loaded spring schedule, Showtime confirmed Monday it will broadcast the heavyweight tilt live from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The fight adds to the network's stretch of 13 world title fights across 11 cards over the first six months of 2018.
"The heavyweight division is in the midst of a renaissance, and Showtime is delivering all of the pivotal bouts to our subscribers," said Stephen Espinoza, president of sports and event programing for Showtime Networks Inc. "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."
The fight represents just the second heavyweight unification bout between unbeaten fighters and the first since Mike Tyson defeated Tony Tucker in 1987. One year later, Tyson also defeated lineal champion Michael Spinks, who was also unbeaten but didn't hold one of the recognized alphabet titles at the time.
Joshua-Parker will also be the 12th heavyweight world championship match Showtime has aired since Deontay Wilder outpointed Bermane Stiverne in 2015 for the WBC title. The fight is also part of a de facto title tournament, which also includes Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) facing top contender Luis Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs) on March 3 on Showtime, with the goal of potentially creating the first undisputed heavyweight champion to hold all four recognized major titles simultaneously.
England's Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) enters the new year a worldwide star after getting off the canvas to knock out former champion Wladimir Klitschko last April in front of 90,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium. Six months later, the 28-year-old set a new boxing indoor attendance record when he defeated Carlos Takam in front of 78,000 in Wales.
Parker (24-0, 18 KOs), a 26-year-old native of New Zealand, enters the third defense of the vacant WBO title he won against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2016.
