Joseph Parker insists fans will see a more well-rounded fighter when he faces Joe Joyce on Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.
The former heavyweight champion worked with trainer Andy Lee on his last two fights, a split decision over Derek Chisora and then a unanimous decision in last year’s rematch. He believes that he is better than ever.
The last fight with Chisora took place in December, which means he will have been out of the ring for nine months.
“There are now multiple weapons on my armor,” Parker told Stuff.co.nz. “Before I would say that he was a fighter who boxed and moved, he was defensive and he was passive, and he didn’t really push the action.
“Now I want to push the action. I’ll be there, standing up, face to face, doing it.”
Don’t get the wrong idea. The 30-year-old New Zealander will not go toe-to-toe for the entire fight against a bigger man known for his aggressiveness and knockout power. That wouldn’t be smart.
Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) plans to use his skills and superior athleticism as he picks his spots to strike. The idea is to frustrate the less experienced Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) and wear down the 37-year-old Londoner.
If Kiwi is successful, he will be the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO belt, though a rematch clause could result in a second fight with Joyce regardless of who wins.
“He’s going to be frustrated because he can’t catch me,” Parker said. “I will be too good for him, I will move too fast for him and I will have too much speed. I’m going to tear him apart, and when Andy tells me the time is right, I’m going to get him out of there if I can.
“He is very hard and strong, but if he keeps taking these hits, he will eventually fall off.”
That said, this could be Parker’s toughest fight since losing a unanimous decision to Dillian Whyte in July 2018, which followed his decision to lose the title against Anthony Joshua.
That fact inspires him.
“I love the challenge,” he said, “that’s what I live for.”
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Photos: Joe Joyce knocked out Christian Hammer with four knockdowns
