The year 2018 promises to be one of the most highly anticipated season in boxing with several high-profile clashes in the offing for the boxing faithful.

British professional boxer Anthony Joshua will be the centre of attention as he plans to square up against two giants of the sport in Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker.

Although, fans may have to wait for Joshua v Wilder to be a reality, the same cannot be said for the Parker contest.

It is widely known that negotiations have been in ongoing between both camps for a while now but the latest updates will truly excite fans.

Duco Events promoter, David Higgins, co-promoter of Parker, has revealed he is on his way to the British capital to meet Eddie Hearn [Joshua’s promoter] in order to finalise the deal.

Speaking on the subject, Higgins told ESPN: “I'm on my way to London because it looks like we are close enough to board this plane and to go see Eddie in person so we can fine-tune the details and put the finishing touches on this deal.”

He embarked on a 26-hour journey from Auckland to Hong Kong for a layover, before heading to London and Higgins insists an agreement is imminent.

He added: “In boxing, some camps haggle and argue over trivial stuff, and it gets in the way of fights.

“They have petty arguments. Eddie is more like me in that he's straightforward, and based on the negotiations that we have had to date, we can close out the final details and get an announcement in about a week.

“There are just a few minor things, co-promotional stuff that we're working on. We're dotting the i's and crossing the t's.”

The provisional date for the bout has been set for March 31, with the venue still undecided.

Hearn is considering potential options in England and Wales to host the fight in the coming weeks.

Higgins further revealed: “When it comes to the major things in this deal, we are already on the same page.

“Everything is positive, so I am going to London with confidence that we will wrap this up and have a big fight.”

Another element of the deal still holding things up regards the American television rights, as Showtime, HBO and ESPN are all in the mix.

Showtime has one more bout for Joshua ahead of their contract expiration, while Top Rank’s promoter Bob Arum, co-promoter of Parker, is inclined to bring the deal to ESPN.

HBO, too, has close ties with Matchroom Boxing and expects Hearn to consider them as well.

“The discussions for the American television broadcaster are going on right now, but the fight will have a major television outlet in the United States,” Higgins concluded.

Joshua is regarded as one of the major names on the heavyweight circuit after managing to draw a 90,000-strong crowd for his contest against Wladimir Klitschko last April and 78,000 for the Carlos Takam fight in October.

Nevertheless, it appears the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible after months of protracted talks.