WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker and his team have laughed off the initial offer for an Anthony Joshua unification.

It was widely reported last week that negotiations have commenced for a potential heavyweight unification fight between the pair but an initial 80/20 split was what was reported initially.

Following that Parker’s promoted tabled a 60/40 offer in favor of Joshua.

Now it seems that negotiations have hit an instant stopping point after Sky Sports reported today that Parker’s promoter David Higgins and Parker “laughed off” an email from Eddie Hearn.

Suggesting the offer was so low that it could not even be entertained.

There is no denying that Joshua is the bigger name and the bigger draw in the fight, in every sense, but Parker still holds a version of the heavyweight title which has to be factored in too.

Parker last fought earlier this year in a defence of his title against Hughie Fury in Manchester. A fight he won on points but was disputed by Fury’s team afterwards.

A unification fight is what Parker craves next up but whether he’ll get it straight away remains to be seen.

Joshua is also in negotiations currently to face WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and one would suspect that would take priority if a deal was reached first.

Given the added size of the fight.

A lot of variables remain however for who could face Joshua next.

Previously Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had suggested he would prefer Wilder to face WBC number one Dillian Whyte.

Before then taking on Joshua later in the year.

Also add Tyson Fury to this mix, who’s uncle and trainer this morning said he expects to come back next April.

Likely this will be a warm up fight however – so Fury contending for a world title realistically would not be possible until at least the second half of 2018 one would have thought.