Having spent more time in a professional ring with him than any other opponent, Joseph Parker is certainly more qualified than most to give his opinion on Britain's unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

And the New Zealander has now weighed on the long-running negotiations saga between Joshua and fellow world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Parker (23-1, 18 KOs) became the first man to last the full 12 round distance with Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) back in March this year, with "AJ" stripping Parker of his WBO heavyweight championship, as well as his undefeated record.

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, it was widely expected that Joshua would move on to face WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) in a mouth-watering showdown to determine the undisputed king of the division.

However, months of talks between the two camps have failed to see the fight agreed, leaving Joshua now set to face WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs) in the autumn.

As per Boxing Scene, Parker admitted that he was shocked that the Wilder bout had not made - and suggested that it was Joshua that was at fault for the situation.

"I'm surprised," revealed Parker. "After the fight with me he (Joshua) called Wilder out, but it seems to me he keeps changing his tone despite Wilder clearly wanting that fight.

"He (Wilder) wants to unify the division. I speak to him often and can really sense that passion he has to be undisputed champion."

The contractual wranglings between Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn and Wilder's adviser Shelly Finkel regarding a potential bout have been ongoing since the defeat of Parker some three months ago.

Parker, though, believes that there is more to Joshua's move to fight Povetkin than simply a desire to hold on to his WBA crown and stated that he would favour Wilder should the Joshua fight eventually become a reality.

"Joshua wants to unify too but I don't think he thinks he is ready for Wilder. He (Joshua) wants to take that fight at the right time for him... Personally, I think Deontay Wilder takes it.

"Even though he is wild by name and nature, he is loose, elusive and has power. He has scary one-punch knockout power. I'd take him to win, but boxing is a funny game and I could be proven wrong."

Part of the unique allure of the Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder fight is that the bout would determine a true undisputed heavyweight champion - something that would be lost if Joshua were to be stripped of his WBA championship.

In addition, as much as Joseph Parker seemingly wants to see the fight happen now, his stance might change if he was to defeat fellow heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte later this month in London.

A victory over Whyte would propel Parker back to within reach of a championship fight with either Joshua or Wilder. It will be interesting to see if he is such a great supporter of the unification clash should that prove to be the case.