Anthony Joshua said he will command the respect of Joseph Parker after inflicting a punishing defeat on the New Zealander, but insists there will not be a post-fight handshake.
The WBA ‘super’ and IBF champion had been angered by a verbal attack from Parker and his promotional team ahead of his heavyweight unification clash with the WBO title holder at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31.
Joshua suggested that Parker does not deserve to be mentioned alongside other champion sportsmen and will not offer a gesture of appreciation after he delivers a first humbling loss to the 26-year-old.
Asked about Parker’s pre-fight comments, Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports: “I haven’t seen them all, but I’ve heard some of them.
“In sports you’ve got the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, LeBron James, and then you’ve got people like Joseph Parker, so he’s not a respectable type of person, he can’t control himself.
“But that’s just how it is. You’ve got to accept people for who they are. If that’s how he wants to plan his shot, we let him crack on.
“He’ll be respectful after I whoop him. He might try to shake my hand. I won’t shake his hand though.”
Parker has questioned the punch resistance of Joshua, who was floored for the first time in his professional career in the Wembley win over Wladimir Klitschko, even ending his own tweets with the mocking hashtag of ‘never been dropped.’