Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker LIVE: Press conference ahead of heavyweight title unification clash

Follow all the latest reaction from the final press conference

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker square up before heavyweight title fight

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker meet this weekend in Cardiff in what promises to be a blockbuster.

The Brit's WBA, IBF and IBO titles on the line at the Principality Stadium with the Kiwi's WBO belt also up for grabs.

The duo will speak for the final time before Saturday's must-watch clash at the final pre-fight press conference on Tuesday.

You can follow all the latest in the live blog below.

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When is the fight?

The fight takes place on Saturday 31 March.

What time will the ringwalks be?

We are still waiting on official ringwalk timings, but it is likely the pair will enter the ring around 10pm.

Where is the fight?

The fight takes place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Joshua last fought there late last year, when he stopped the late-replacement Carlos Takam in the tenth round of their heavyweight title fight.

Are there any tickets left to buy?

Spare tickets are still floating around on StubHub.

Who will win?

• Joshua to win: 1/12
• Parker to win: 6/1
• Draw: 40/1

Key Points

• Joshua: "For a long time I had to rely on my physicality. Now I have more mental strength. I'm combining the two."
• Joshua: "If I had £20 in my pocket I would bet it on myself to knock Joseph Parker out, for sure."
• Parker: "I'm going to beat Joshua. I haven't decided how I'm going to beat him yet."
• McCracken: "Klitschko was his toughest test to date. But I think this is the next biggest test."

[27 March 2018 12:18 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Eddie Hearn speaks first.

"Incredible scenes and an incredible turnout," he says. "Britain is the envy of the boxing world. We were here 11 months ago for the Klitschko fight, now this is Joshua's third stadium fight and second unification fight. It will be an incredible event, with 78,000 people watching history being made. 

"It doesn't get any bigger than this. It will be a huge night of action with lots of good fights on the undercard, it's rammed with action from start to finish."

[27 March 2018 12:21 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

David Higgins next.

"I want to let Hearn and Joshua know I won't be taking any lates from them. Hearn is the second best promoter in the world and I challenge Hearn to let Joshua to speak for himself. And if he comes for me I will step off the stage. And I will challenge him to do the same."

Hearn: "If his leg doesn't stop shaking I'm going to have to go and get him something."

A spiky start then! 

[27 March 2018 12:26 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Kevin Barry (Parker's trainer):

"We've had a rough time with Joe's elbows over previous fights. But this camp has been much more enjoyable and everything has clicked at the right time. As a trainer I could not be happier with the preparations of my fighter.

"I don't want to talk about any weaknesses with Joshua. Both are skillful guys and it will come down to who can execute their game plan best on the night. I've said all along that I believe Parker has the greatest skill level of all of the three champions. 

"The whole thing with this camp was that we decided from the get go we would not let the situation beat us. Parker has always been able to control his emotions. It will be the same Parker walking to the ring as the one in the dressing room. He has been waiting for his opportunity, to prove he is the best in the world.

"If we didn't believe he could beat Joshua we wouldn't be here."

[27 March 2018 12:27 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Joseph Parker speaks, at last:

"No excuses: whoever wins will be the best man on the day. I have a lot of family members out here and a lot of supporters and there will be cheers for me on fight night.

"I haven't even decided how I'm going to beat him if I'm honest. Knockout, points, I'll decide on the night.

"I'm ready to bring the belts back to New Zealand and Samoa."

[27 March 2018 12:31 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Rob McCracken: 

"Joshua ticks all the boxes. He can box, he can fight, he can take a devastating shot. He is learning all of the time. He is already the unified champion and an Olympic champion.

"He's eating less and sleeping better. The Pulev pull out was difficult ahead of the last fight. He is a fighter that is learning all of the time. His training is great. He is in great shape and has had a good training camp and knows that Parker is a good fighter, so he has prepared properly.

"Klitschko was his toughest test to date. But I think this is the next biggest test. Parker is a good fighter but Joshua is ready for him.

"The beautiful thing about a boxing match is that we don't know what will happen until the bell rings. But Joshua always delivers. That's not always the case, but AJ backs up his talking."

[27 March 2018 12:36 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Anthony Joshua speaks, to a round of applause:

"Every fight is a learning fight, every camp is a learning camp. I have been working on my technique and my ability, not just getting fit. Big respect to Carlos Takam: he was a good competitor. But he is very different to Pulev. My trainer has prepared me from day one for everything, so when it came to Takam I knew what to do. He was in great shape when I boxed him, and I wanted to control him throughout the fight because I knew there was a big 2018 on the horizon, and that's why we're here now.

"I feel like every fight is a blessing. Whether it is Parker or someone else. Every fight will have reason in the long run. It's Parker and he's a champion who has done well for himself. He adds something to my journey and I'm looking forward to Saturday.

"In terms of his attributes, he's quick and he can take a punch. As for weight, it's determined by who you fight. I don't know what my weight will be but I feel great, and not only physically. For a long time in my career I had to rely on my physicality but now I have more mental strength, and I am combining the two."

[27 March 2018 12:39 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Joshua on fights beyond Parker:

"It's one fight at a time. I'm not thinking about Wilder, we need to be realistic. If I beat him we can talk about future plans. But for now my future stops on Saturday.

"The fear of losing keeps me going. Unless I take care of my business nobody is going to want to interview me anyway. That keeps me motivated and I know that the tables can turn quickly.

"I'm preparing for a 12 round fight, 110%. That wouldn't be a problem. But if I had £20 in my pocket I would bet it on myself to knock Joseph Parker out, for sure."

[27 March 2018 12:40 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

And that's that!

Perhaps the most interesting part of that press conference was the jousting between Hearn and Higgins...

[27 March 2018 12:43 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

It's a very polite face-off. Parker decides to pick up his belt, Joshua leaves his collection on the table.

[27 March 2018 13:15 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Here's a round-up of everything that happened at today's news conference.