03-03-2015, 04:13 PM
Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker targets early stoppage against American Jason Pettaway
LIAM NAPIER
READY TO RUMBLE: Joseph Parker (right) poses with his American opponent Jason Pettaway (left) in Auckland ahead of Thursday's bout.
Expect another early stoppage from Joseph Parker on Thursday night.
There was no thought given to concealing Parker's fight plan for Jason Pettaway. Kevin Barry made intentions clear today by stating Parker would again "let his hands go" from the opening bell – just as he did in devastating fashion against Irineu Costa Junior last December.
That emphatic fourth round knockout sent waves around the world and Barry is keen to continue grabbing international attention.
Before turning pro, Pettaway had 136 amateur fights and, with a respectable 17-1 record, should harness better defensive tactics than the lumbering Costa Junior, but few are predicting the American will last the distance with Parker.
"As we continue to step up there's going to be much tougher fights out there for us," Barry admitted. "This sort of opponent I want to try and keep the momentum going from his performance in December.
"I don't want to lose that momentum and if that means Joe has to throw 75 punches in the first round then that's what he'll do.
"If Joe can go out there and put his combinations together there's not too many fighters that are going to stand up for the full distance with him.
"I'm confident in his skill and his power.
"It's taken us two years but he's showing me things at the moment that make me very optimistic as a trainer that we've got some much bigger and better things to look forward to in the future."
Read between the lines and Pettaway is, clearly, another stepping stone on the long road to heavyweight glory.
After another solid six week camp, which included 58 rounds sparring in Las Vegas alongside Polish training partner Izuagbe Ugonoh, Parker is also supremely confident of stopping Pettaway.
Letting the hands and combinations flow from the outset won't always be attainable. More testing opponents will require Parker to sit behind his jab and devise different attacking strategies. Not this time, though.
"We were comfortable executing that fight plan against Costa. The amount of punches I threw, I was still fit and strong and ready to go more rounds," Parker said.
"I don't see any reason why I shouldn't come out fit and strong when I'm feeling the same.
"We see a chance to be dominant with this fight. You can't follow the same plan with every fight but what we've seen from Jason we know we can dominant from the beginning. That's the plan Kevin has given me."
This, the first of five scheduled fights for Parker in 2015, will also be his last over 10 rounds.
"It will probably be my last 10-round fight then we will move up to 12 rounds. There is a bit of a difference but I'm confident of making the step up."
LIAM NAPIER
READY TO RUMBLE: Joseph Parker (right) poses with his American opponent Jason Pettaway (left) in Auckland ahead of Thursday's bout.
Expect another early stoppage from Joseph Parker on Thursday night.
There was no thought given to concealing Parker's fight plan for Jason Pettaway. Kevin Barry made intentions clear today by stating Parker would again "let his hands go" from the opening bell – just as he did in devastating fashion against Irineu Costa Junior last December.
That emphatic fourth round knockout sent waves around the world and Barry is keen to continue grabbing international attention.
Before turning pro, Pettaway had 136 amateur fights and, with a respectable 17-1 record, should harness better defensive tactics than the lumbering Costa Junior, but few are predicting the American will last the distance with Parker.
"As we continue to step up there's going to be much tougher fights out there for us," Barry admitted. "This sort of opponent I want to try and keep the momentum going from his performance in December.
"I don't want to lose that momentum and if that means Joe has to throw 75 punches in the first round then that's what he'll do.
"If Joe can go out there and put his combinations together there's not too many fighters that are going to stand up for the full distance with him.
"I'm confident in his skill and his power.
"It's taken us two years but he's showing me things at the moment that make me very optimistic as a trainer that we've got some much bigger and better things to look forward to in the future."
Read between the lines and Pettaway is, clearly, another stepping stone on the long road to heavyweight glory.
After another solid six week camp, which included 58 rounds sparring in Las Vegas alongside Polish training partner Izuagbe Ugonoh, Parker is also supremely confident of stopping Pettaway.
Letting the hands and combinations flow from the outset won't always be attainable. More testing opponents will require Parker to sit behind his jab and devise different attacking strategies. Not this time, though.
"We were comfortable executing that fight plan against Costa. The amount of punches I threw, I was still fit and strong and ready to go more rounds," Parker said.
"I don't see any reason why I shouldn't come out fit and strong when I'm feeling the same.
"We see a chance to be dominant with this fight. You can't follow the same plan with every fight but what we've seen from Jason we know we can dominant from the beginning. That's the plan Kevin has given me."
This, the first of five scheduled fights for Parker in 2015, will also be his last over 10 rounds.
"It will probably be my last 10-round fight then we will move up to 12 rounds. There is a bit of a difference but I'm confident of making the step up."