Duco contacted World Boxing News on Thursday to confirm a ‘significant development’ in negotiations and say contracts for a UK bout are close to being signed.
Parker’s promoter David Higgins is now set to fly to England to seal the deal as the New Zealander bids to put an end to Joshua’s impressive 20-0, 20 KO record.
“We’re really, really close,” Higgins initially told media in New Zealand regarding Joshua v Parker.
“We’ve agreed the ratio. The Joshua side gave a small concession, and we’ve agreed that the Parker side will get somewhere between 30 and 35 per cent.”
“There’s still a lot to agree, but we’ve agreed the most important thing which is the ratio. The rest should flow from there.”
Despite initially holding out for 35% of the split, Higgins and Parker are ready to compromise slightly in a bid to secure the fight, on the stipulation that a rematch goes in favor of the WBO ruler.
Venues in Manchester, London and Cardiff are still on the table for the encounter as both sides attempt to wrap up an agreement for the spring in the coming days.
Sky Sports Box Office would have exclusive TV rights in the UK, meaning Joshua and Parker can expect a purse in the millions for their efforts.
US network Showtime will televise the battle Stateside in a bid to keep interest in the winner facing Deontay Wilder at some point in the future.
