CALCULATED RISK: Joseph Parker is taking another step up after beating Sherman Williams last month.
Rising New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has been handed a tricky assignment to headline next month's Fight For Life promotion, tangling with world-ranked Brazilian Irineu Beato Costa Junior.
It's been a long and difficult search to find an opponent for Parker.
His management wanted to provide a pressure test to finish off a busy year for the 22-year-old and have discarded veteran American Vinny Maddalone in preference for Costa.
The 34-year-old comes with a WBO ranking of 15, one lower than Parker who has also lifted to No 10 with the WBA.
Victory would bring Parker further reward on the rankings list as Duco Events look to manoeuvre him towards a title shot.
Matchmaker Stuart Duncan had no doubts that this will be Parker's sternest test in an unbeaten career that has notched 11 wins since turning pro in mid-2012.
Costa has 15 wins and just one loss to his name. That loss came in his last fight, a unanimous decision over 12 rounds in Germany in October to Christian Hammer, the WBO's European champion and world No 6.
It's the nature of Costa's wins that signals danger for Parker - 13 of the 15 have come via knockouts and 11 of those have come in the first two rounds.
Parker's trainer Kevin Barry has been working overtime on his homework after Costa was confirmed to him just three weeks out from the December 6 bout in Hamilton.
Parker has been busy with his fitness in anticipation of his Hamilton date and that department, plus his speed, should be an advantage over Costa who has had his movement questioned at times. But it's now about working on a fight plan to counter Costa's obvious strengths.
"I know he's dangerous. He's a very, very heavy hitter. You don't have that record if you don't have heavy hands," Barry said when asked what he knew of Costa.
"He's the WBO Latino champion, he's the Brazilian champion . . . he's got very solid credentials."
Barry noted that Parker had survived "a couple of concerning moments" in his last tangle with a Brazilian when he recovered to knock out Marcelo Nascimento in the seventh round of their April clash in Germany on Wladimir Klitchsko's undercard.
"Costa is much heavier-handed than Nascimento," Barry said. "But since then Joe has developed and improved quite a bit too.
"This is a risk versus reward fight. We were expecting an easier lead up to Christmas but have struggled attracting many of the top 15 rated guys and when one comes along we've got to take the fight, even if it is at short notice."
Barry said the situation demanded total focus from Parker.
"It's very important that Joe fights with discipline and patience. He can't be careless because one punch [from Costa] could finish this."
Parker and Barry face a busy final week of training in Las Vegas before arriving in New Zealand for a 10-day tapering period up to the fight.
- The Dominion Post
Rising New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has been handed a tricky assignment to headline next month's Fight For Life promotion, tangling with world-ranked Brazilian Irineu Beato Costa Junior.
It's been a long and difficult search to find an opponent for Parker.
His management wanted to provide a pressure test to finish off a busy year for the 22-year-old and have discarded veteran American Vinny Maddalone in preference for Costa.
The 34-year-old comes with a WBO ranking of 15, one lower than Parker who has also lifted to No 10 with the WBA.
Victory would bring Parker further reward on the rankings list as Duco Events look to manoeuvre him towards a title shot.
Matchmaker Stuart Duncan had no doubts that this will be Parker's sternest test in an unbeaten career that has notched 11 wins since turning pro in mid-2012.
Costa has 15 wins and just one loss to his name. That loss came in his last fight, a unanimous decision over 12 rounds in Germany in October to Christian Hammer, the WBO's European champion and world No 6.
It's the nature of Costa's wins that signals danger for Parker - 13 of the 15 have come via knockouts and 11 of those have come in the first two rounds.
Parker's trainer Kevin Barry has been working overtime on his homework after Costa was confirmed to him just three weeks out from the December 6 bout in Hamilton.
Parker has been busy with his fitness in anticipation of his Hamilton date and that department, plus his speed, should be an advantage over Costa who has had his movement questioned at times. But it's now about working on a fight plan to counter Costa's obvious strengths.
"I know he's dangerous. He's a very, very heavy hitter. You don't have that record if you don't have heavy hands," Barry said when asked what he knew of Costa.
"He's the WBO Latino champion, he's the Brazilian champion . . . he's got very solid credentials."
Barry noted that Parker had survived "a couple of concerning moments" in his last tangle with a Brazilian when he recovered to knock out Marcelo Nascimento in the seventh round of their April clash in Germany on Wladimir Klitchsko's undercard.
"Costa is much heavier-handed than Nascimento," Barry said. "But since then Joe has developed and improved quite a bit too.
"This is a risk versus reward fight. We were expecting an easier lead up to Christmas but have struggled attracting many of the top 15 rated guys and when one comes along we've got to take the fight, even if it is at short notice."
Barry said the situation demanded total focus from Parker.
"It's very important that Joe fights with discipline and patience. He can't be careless because one punch [from Costa] could finish this."
Parker and Barry face a busy final week of training in Las Vegas before arriving in New Zealand for a 10-day tapering period up to the fight.
- The Dominion Post